Toowoomba trapdoor

Fact Box Species: Euoplos species (QM) previously Arbanitis species or Aganippe berlandi Family: Idiopidae, formerly Ctenizidae Body length: female: 35 mm male: 26 mm Habitat: In a burrow with a neatly fitting door; males wander above ground at night in autumn Toxicity: Venom appears virtually harmless to humans but males do exhibit aggressive behaviour

The female The male Closed burrow Open burrow

This trapdoor species is found widely across the Darling Downs and can tolerate relatively dry open grassland areas, unlike funnel-web spiders.

The female rarely leaves the burrow but large numbers of mature males do so to search for mates during autumn and early winter. Mature males usually appear during or after rain but only over the period late October to early February.

The male is a much darker brown than the female and has a characteristic double spur on the inside of the tibia of the first pair of legs. Males rear up when provoked but do not readily yield venom as funnel-web spiders do.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Arbanitis species, Namea salanitri, Aname species and Misgolas pulchellus.