Western brown trapdoor

Fact Box Species: Arbanitis species (QM) perhaps Arbanitis variabilis Family: Idiopidae formerly Ctenizidae Body length: female: 30 mm male: 22 mm Habitat: In a burrow with a neatly fitting hinged door; males are mostly found above ground in Autumn Toxicity: Uncertain; likely to cause only mild illness in humans but should be handled with caution

The male palps

This trapdoor is usually found in black soil areas of the Darling Downs and can tolerate relatively dry conditions. The female rarely leaves the burrow but the mature males search for mates in large numbers during autumn and early winter. The male is a lighter brown than the more common Euoplos male and lacks the double spur on the inside of the tibia of the first pair of legs that Euoplos has. Males rear up when provoked but do not readily yield venom as funnel-web spiders do.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Euoplos species and Misgolas pulchellus.