Arachnerds: Purse Web Spider

Family - Atypidae

Genus - Atypus

Female - 10-15mm (upto 18mm including jaws/ chelicerae)

Male - 7-9mm (upto 12mm including jaws/ chelicerae)

Female

Extra Mural Cemetery

Brighton, East Sussex

12.11.2011

Male

Extra Mural Cemetery

Brighton, East Sussex

13.11.2011

    Newly hatched Spiderlings
    Extra Mural Cemetery, Brighton
    30.03.12

   Graeme Lyons of the Sussex Wildlife Trust informed me
    that Purse Web Spiders have been observed at Woodvale
    Crematorium/ Brighton Extra Mural Cemetery. I went to investigate
    and soon discovered these empty webs. Credit goes to Derek Smith for
    spotting the first one. We observed Magpie's digging around in the chalky
    grass verges so maybe they are the culprits digging out the Spiders?
These amazing creatures live upto a depth of 50cm, rushing up to
    grab it's prey and pulling it through the web then repairing the 'Purse'
    after devouring it's catch.

    Looks more like a sock than a purse!
    This one was just lying on the grass. I have seen these before
    but didn't know what they were.

28/09/2010

I didn't find any Purse Web Spiders but I now know

where they live and what to look for!

.......................

Purse Web Spider Update:

Found my first Purse Web Spider today! Very exciting!

Hanging out on a South facing flint wall in Brighton Extra Mural Cemetery.

Purse Web spiders belong to the same sub-order

(Orthognatha / Mygalomorphae) as Tarantulas, Funnel Web Spiders

and Trap-Door Spiders.

Purse Web Spider (Male)

05/10/2010

Click HERE for a Video on YouTube

..........

Second Purse Web Spider sighting!

As surpirised as I was to find one Purse Web Spider,

I was shocked to bump into another one, less than one week later!

Same venue, different site.

South-facing chalky soil verge.

11/10/2010

This fella was charging about, almost doing figure eights, around a gravestone.

It was easier to film him as he was so active.

Second Video on Youtube HERE

Graeme Lyons and myself went back the following day, no sign of the

Spiders but we found a new verge with many 'discarded' purse entrances

just strewn about the place.

I reckon this is an active Purse Web entrance. Great camouflage!

Discarded Purse Webs. Dug up by Crows and Magpies?

Or caught in a lawn mower?

Different site again.

Brighton Extra Mural Graveyard

17/10/2010

..........

Purse Web Spider update!

I spent 3.5 hours scanning for Purse Web Spiders today.

I was just about to give up and was on the only south-facing

verge that I hadn't looked at before when all of a sudden this

beautiful specimen appeared! It's a Female Atypus affinis!

I never expected to see a Female wandering about so I feel very lucky!

I alerted Graeme Lyons from SWT and he rushed over to view her.

He managed to get some amazing shots of her chelicerae/ jaws.

See Graeme's Blog HERE.

I was tempted to pick her up but when she bit down on a twig

that Graeme was holding I changed my mind!

Brighton Extra Mural Cemetery

22/10/2010
Click HERE for a video of her on Youtube.

I went back to the same verge and she was there again -
    I spotted her as she rolled down the verge - seemed extra clumsy today.
    I couldn't resist holding her so I went for it, raised my pulse a bit!
    Real weighty Spider!
    Brighton Extra Mural Cemetery
    25/10/2010

Female Purse Web Spider Video Part Two

Female Purse Web Spider 120 FPS Video

..........

I observed two Female Atypus affinis at this same site today,

both were under the same Grave. This is the first time I have

tried out my new Camera - Nikon Coolpix 4500.