# ID: Red Spider Found In Garage



## Godzirra (Oct 9, 2009)

Hi, my husband found this pretty thing in the garage
I live in West Virginia
I'd say it's about an Inch and a half.


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## CodeWilster (Oct 9, 2009)

Hi,

Your spider appears to be a mature male belonging to the family _Cyrtaucheniidae_ (wafer-lid trapdoor spiders). It is likely a _Myrmekiaphila spp_, and I believe the only known species from West Virginia is _M. foliata_.

~Cody


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## Bjoern Elksnat (Oct 9, 2009)

Hi mate,

its a male and looks like a trapdoor spider...

But in Virginia? I don`t know...

LG Björni


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## Widowman10 (Oct 9, 2009)

traps can be found in WV and southward. range isn't a problem.


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## loxoscelesfear (Oct 10, 2009)

Agreed.  _Myrmekiaphila_.  Is _fluviatilis_ a possibility as well?  A male.


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## BiologicalJewels (Oct 10, 2009)

CodeWilster said:


> Hi,
> 
> Your spider appears to be a mature male belonging to the family _Cyrtaucheniidae_ (wafer-lid trapdoor spiders). It is likely a _Myrmekiaphila spp_, and I believe the only known species from West Virginia is _M. foliata_.
> 
> ~Cody


I have reason to believe this is most likely if not correct


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## CodeWilster (Oct 10, 2009)

loxoscelesfear said:


> Agreed.  _Myrmekiaphila_.  Is _fluviatilis_ a possibility as well?  A male.


The only way to be entirely certain of an ID would be to examine the palps at a microscopic level. However, according to Bond & Platnick 2007, the only _Myrmekiaphila_ species that can be found in West Virginia is _M. foliata_. Therefore, very high odds suggest that this is the species we are seeing here.

_M. fluviatilis_ has a much more isolated range, recorded only in northeastern Alabama so far.


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