By Alana Bailey

Some people fear them, others keep them as pets … either way, spiders remain remarkable creatures.

As far as we could determine, there are 71 spider families, 471 genera and more than 2 000 species known in South Africa. Because they are found in all corners of the country and vary in size, new species are being discovered all the time.

Recently, it was announced that nine new species of trapdoor spiders of the genus Stasimopus have been discovered in the Karoo.

As their name suggests, these spiders hunt in a unique way. They dig a tunnel that can be up to 20 cm wide and 30 cm deep and cover the entrance with a flap made of soil, silk thread and plant material. They live in their tunnels. When they hunt, they hold on to the trap door from below until an unsuspecting prey moves across it. The spider then appears in a flash, grabs the prey and drags it into the tunnel to consume it. Quite scary, especially if you are an insect such as a grasshopper, or beetle, or even a small frog. These newly discovered species are up to 16 cm in diameter, legs included. Clearly they can handle large prey. They rarely bite people, but if they do, it can be very painful, even though the venom is not dangerous to humans.

Trapdoor spiders can grow remarkably old. In captivity, one lived for 25 years! Another interesting feature is that female trapdoor spiders are good mothers who lay their eggs in the tunnels and protect and feed the young that hatch there until they are big enough to fend for themselves and dig their own tunnels.

These remarkable spiders are found worldwide – feel free to let us know if you come across any!

Photo: Michael Podger/ Unsplash

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