![]() They often have more intricate burrows that include side chambers with additional underground trapdoors. Females, on the other hand, are much more secretive, living relatively long, 15 to 20-year lives in their below-ground burrows. Wandering males can be found in relatively large numbers on neighborhood sidewalks, in swimming pools and even in homeowners' garages for a brief time during the months of November and December. However, once males reach sexual maturity at around 5 or 6 years old, they emerge from their burrows to find a female with which to mate shortly thereafter they die. Members of the species are rarely encountered individually. ![]() "Despite the physical uniqueness of these specimens, the use of DNA as an alternate, less subjective line of evidence for recognizing the species was warranted, given our excitement with discovering a new species literally in our own backyards," Bond said. However, closer examination revealed considerable differences in appearance, particularly in their genitalia, that were supported by additional studies comparing the DNA of M. foliata, according to a taxonomic study of the group that was published a few years ago. Prey are captured, usually at night, when an insect or other animal causes a vibration, provoking the spider to leap from the burrow entrance, bite and envenomate the unsuspecting victim, and then return to the bottom of the burrow to feast on its prize.ĭue to superficial similarities, Myrmekiaphila tigris was previously believed to be a different species, M. Female spiders spend nearly their entire lives in a single silk-lined burrow from which they forage as sit-and-wait predators. Trapdoor spiders - related to tarantulas, funnel web spiders, and their kin - construct subterranean burrows that they cover with a hinged door made of a mixture of silk and soil. and includes the now-famous species Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi, from Birmingham, Alabama, named for Canadian rocker Neil Young. Myrmekiaphila tigris belongs to a genus that contains 11 other species of trapdoor spider found throughout the eastern U.S. The study was published in the open access journal ZooKeys and is freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Bond and Ray actually live in the neighborhood where the new species was discovered. The research team, directed by Biological Sciences professor Jason Bond, lead investigator and director of the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, and Charles Ray, a research fellow in the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, was excited at the prospect of such a remarkable find just underfoot. Myrmekiaphila tigris, affectionately referred to as the Auburn Tiger Trapdoor spider, is named in honor of Auburn University's costumed Tiger mascot, Aubie. ![]() ![]() Researchers at Auburn University have reported the discovery a new trapdoor spider species from a well-developed housing subdivision in the heart of the city of Auburn, Alabama. Image: This is a male specimen of Myrmekiaphila tigris photographed live by J. ![]()
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