Trapdoor Spiders (Ctenizidae) are a medium-sized spider that constructs burrows with a cork-like trapdoor made of soil, vegetation and silk.
The name derives from Greek κτενὶζειν ktenizein, meaning "combing" or "cleaning", referring to their behaviour of cleaning continuously, and the suffix -idae, which designates belonging to a family.
The trapdoor is difficult to see when it is closed because the plant and soil materials effectively camouflage it. The trapdoor is hinged on one side with silk. The spiders, which are usually nocturnal, typically wait for prey while holding on to the underside of the door with the claws on their tarsi (the hairy paws at the end of their legs). Prey is captured when insects, other arthropods, or small vertebrates disturb the 'trip' lines the spider lays out around its trapdoor, alerting the spider to a meal within reach. The spider detects the prey by vibrations and, when it comes close enough, leaps out of its burrow to make the capture.
Until now, this scary looking (but harmless to humans) arachnid has only been found in Australia, but with global warming on the rise it now seems to have found a home in the depths of the Hutt Valley .......