Purse-web spider  (Atypus affinis)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Description

This spider belongs to the same suborder (Orthognatha) as tarantulas, funnel web spiders and trap-door spiders. Just one genus belonging to the family Atypidae is found in Britain, and it is represented by this species alone (2). The name of the suborder Orthognatha means ‘straight jawed’. This name refers to the chelicerae, a pair of appendages on the ‘head’ of the spider which are used to kill prey. In this suborder, the chelicerae project forwards from the carapace(2). This species is easy to identify, it has a squarish carapace and large, stout chelicerae, and the legs are stocky (3). Males are similar in appearance to females, but have longer legs and a thinner abdomen(2).

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