ID: Red Spider Found In Garage

[Godzirra]

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.

 

[CodeWilster]

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

 

[Bjoern Elksnat]

Hi mate,

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

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

LG Björni

 

[Widowman10]

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

 

[loxoscelesfear]

Agreed. Myrmekiaphila. Is fluviatilis a possibility as well? A male.

 

[BiologicalJewels]

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

 

[CodeWilster]

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.