Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805)
Description
Bulbus of male palp simple. Embolus long, filiform. Vulva with a pair of long coiled spermathecae. Prosoma dark red-brown in preserved specimens (black in living specimens), with dark striae; fovea a circular pit. Sternum oval, with 6 oval sigilla. Opisthosoma dark grey in preserved specimens (in living specimens purple/violet), dorsally with 3 pairs of impressed dots. Coxa I with highly modified paddle-shaped spines. Distal part of chelicerae covered with long black hairs. 4 Spinnerets, posterior laterals long, three-segmented
Body length male: 20.3-26.8 mmBody length female: 28.2-34.7 mm
Additional information
In oakwoods, but also in secondary habitats and anthropogenous habitats such as dumps.
Since a few decades, this species shows some spreading tendencies within Europe. Additionally, it is spread within Europe with potted old olive trees but cannot establish sustainable populations in most cases, especially in Central Europe. However, one single population in Northern Catalonia (Spain) was founded by introduced specimens (Bellvert & Arnedo, 2016). Nevertheless, it shall not be listed as alien or invasive because it is native for Europe.
Distribution
Phenology
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Figures
Pedipalp
(Snazell & Allison 1989)
Lyra (Coxa I, palpal trochanter)
(Snazell & Allison 1989)
Vulva
(Snazell & Allison 1989)
Distribution List
"No references" does not mean that the species does not occur in this country, but that we have not yet inserted the reference for it. We are working on it.
References
Bauer T, Wendt I (2022) La araña toro, Macrothele calpeiana, repeatedly imported to Germany (Araneae: Macrothelidae). Fragmenta Entomologica 54: 69-72 
Bellvert A, Arnedo M A (2016) Threatened or threatening? Evidence for independent introductions of Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805) (Araneae: Hexathelidae) and first observation of reproduction outside its natural distribution range. Arachnology 17: 137-141
Benhacene R, Adjami A, Hadjeb A, Kermiche K, Ouakid M L (2023) Bibliographic checklist of the Algerian spider fauna (Araneae). Zootaxa 5352: 301-357
Bosmans R, Van Keer K (2017) Een herziene soortenlijst van de Belgische spinnen (Araneae). Nieuwsbrief van de Belgische Arachnologische Vereniging 32: 39-69
Bosmans R. (unpubl.) Provisional list of spiders of North Africa. Database excerpt Aug. 2019
Branco V V, Morano E, Cardoso P (2019) An update to the Iberian spider checklist (Araneae). Zootaxa 4614: 201-254
Hänggi A, Stäubli A (2012) Nachträge zum „Katalog der schweizerischen Spinnen“: 4. Neunachweise von 2002 bis 2011. Arachnologische Mitteilungen 44: 59-76
Helsdingen P J van (2015b) Binnenwandelende exoten. Nieuwsbrief SPINED 35: 33-34
Pantini P, Isaia M (2019) Araneae.it: the online catalog of Italian spiders, with addenda on other arachnid orders occurring in Italy (Arachnida: Araneae, Opiliones, Palpigradi, Pseudoscorpionida, Scorpiones, Solifugae). Fragmenta Entomologica 51: 127-152
Pantini P, Isaia M, Mazzoleni F, Oneto C (2016) Nuovi dati sui ragni di Lombardia (Arachnida, Araneae). Rivista del Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali "E. Caffi", Bergamo 29: 21-44
Sherwood D (2022b) Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805), an occasional stowaway imported into the United Kingdom with olive trees (Araneae: Macrothelidae). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 41: 135-136
Siaud P, Raphaël B (2013) Première observation en Provence d'une mygale andalouse: Macrothele calpeiana (Walckenaer, 1805). Mésogée, Bulletin du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle de Marseille 69: 5-11, 73-74
Snazell R, Allison R (1989) The genus Macrothele Ausserer (Araneae, Hexathelidae) in Europe. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 8: 65-72
Van Keer K (2011) An update on the verified reports of imported spiders (Araneae) from Belgium. Nieuwsbrief van de Belgische Arachnologische Vereniging 25(3, 2010): 210-214
WSC (2024) World Spider Catalog. Version 25.5. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (31.10.2024) doi: 10.24436/2
Updates
| 01-03-2023 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 11-01-2023 | Distribution insert | Detail |
| 29-05-2022 | Distribution insert | Detail |
| 29-05-2022 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 20-05-2022 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 20-05-2022 | Distribution insert | Detail |
| 09-10-2021 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 25-11-2020 | Gallery image insert | |
| 01-05-2020 | Distribution insert | Detail |
| 22-06-2016 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 22-12-2015 | Distribution update | Detail |
| 01-10-2015 | Distribution update | Detail |