Subject: Red Legged Purse Web spider (male)
Location: Eno River State Park, NC
June 18, 2014 8:13 am
I was hiking with my son at the Eno River State Park in North Carolina. We discovered this spider crawling on the ground. It actually paused for the photo. It was bigger than a quarter.
I think I identified it as a male red legged purse web spider. It has rather large fangs.
Does it bite? Will it’s fangs pierce human skin?
I understand that they make silk funnels on a tree or rock face and then hide behind the silk wall waiting for prey. As the prey enters the funnel, the spider lunges and bites through the silk wall.
It’s quite a cool spider.
Signature: James Chamberlain
Red Legged Purseweb Spider
Dear James,
Thanks so much for sending in your image of a male Red Legged Purseweb Spider, Sphodros rufipes. The information you have is consistent with what we have read. We have not read anything regarding the bite of a Red Legged Purseweb Spider, however, the fangs do look formidable and we are guessing they might be able to bite a human, though in general, Spiders in the Infraorder Mygalomorphae, which include Tarantulas and Trapdoor Spiders, are not aggressive toward humans.
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I live in St. Charles, mo and I was bitten on my toe while walking in my basement in early morning by this type of spider in late August (yesterday). It was quite painful, the equivalent of being poked with a sharp pin. The bite site turned slightly red and slightly swollen. The symptoms were gone within an hour and haven’t caused me any more trouble. Hope that helps.
The chelicerae of the male do look like they would deliver a deep double puncture.
I found this spider moving rather fast acrost my patio and took pics and a short video.
I think it is also a red purse web spider.
But I live in Humble Texas, but you say it is endangered? How so ? I see these and the red velvet ants or aka cow killer ant all the time.
I took pics and a vid of both how and where can I send them to ?
You can use the Ask What’s That Bug? link on our site.