Green-fanged Tube-web Spider (Segestria florentina)

Welcome to Europes largest Tube-web spider (Segestriidae) with females sometimes reaching up to 22mm in length.

In the UK this is a scarce species largely restricted to the coastal areas in the south of the UK, although it has recently started to expand its range further inland. .

Uniformly dark, with the males darker than the females, other than the chelicerae (the jaws) that have a characteristic metallic green iridescence which distinguishes this species from other Segestria species. Although not visible in this photo they can sometimes be seen with a torch at night while the spider is sitting in the entrance to its tube-web and you catch it just right.

As this photo does demonstrate, a pattern is sometimes visible on the abdomen; a longitudinal line of large joined spots similar to others in the genus.

Most commonly found hiding in a silk-lined tube, usually located above ground level, in a suitable hole or crevice, such as that in the photo. The entrance is usually surrounded by a radiating wheel-like web, the silk lines of which serve as trip-wires, alerting the inhabitant to passing invertebratesupon which it will pounce and drag back into its retreat.

Females in paryicular are sedentary, but males can be seen at certain times wandering in the hope of finding a female and may even wander into houses.

Although generally elusive, it is an aggressive species with a bite capable of piercing human skin, so one to be treated with respect.