Idiopidae build burrows, and some species close these with a trapdoor lined with silk. Prothemenops siamensis from Thailand, which is about 2 cm long, builds its retreat in a streamside vertical earth bank in lower montane rainforest. Each burrow has two or three entrances that lead into a main tube. The trapdoor is a form of safety and ways of ambushing prey. Idiopidae adapt and live in many various environments as seen by the map on the far right, which leads to the various species to co-exist with other Idiopidae and other spiders outside of the family.[4] Idiopidae are not poisonous and their bites are not fatal to humans.
Description
The spiders have large bodies, similar to those of tarantulas. In most species the males have a spur on their legs, which is used to immobilise the female and prevent her from biting during the mating process. The lateral posterior spinnerets are elongated.[5]
The oldest known idiopid, Number 16, died at the age of 43 years.[6]
^American Arachnological Society Committee on Common Names of Arachnids (2003). Common Names of Arachnids(PDF) (Report) (Fifth ed.).
^Raven, R.J. (1985). "The spider Infraorder Mygalomorphae (Araneae): cladistics and systematics". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 182.
