need to ID a spider...need help

[alex21]

Hi,

about a month ago, i caught a really cool black spider. unfortunately, it died on me, so I am preserving it.

I am unable to provide a picture, so here's a description of it:

it is black, overall, but it's body had like a whitish shade. Hard to describe, but it's body was black with a white shade on it. It almost looked like if it was spray painted on. Going to the second segment of his body, where his eyes are, it looked shell like. It seems as if it had a helmet on. Finally, its legs were pretty tough looking. Overall, the texture of this spider's bodywas tough. That is what I liked about the spider. It had a armored type of body. Tough. as a matter of fact, it is pretty hard now that it's dead. It didn't have a soft body like tarantulas nor other types of true spiders. Finally, it measured around 1 to 1 1/4 inch.

I have investigated a bit and it resembles the purse-web spider and california trapdoor spider, although i found this spider south tx, so i doubt it could be a california trapdoor.

If anybody can provide me with what this spider could possibly be, feel free to let me know. Or if anybody can let me know what spiders don't have a soft-body, rather a tought, armor-type body.let me know..Will appreciate it. please email me at erik_ut_2001@yahoo.com

Thanks

[jsloan]

It had a armored type of body. Tough. as a matter of fact, it is pretty hard now that it's dead. It didn't have a soft body like tarantulas nor other types of true spiders. Finally, it measured around 1 to 1 1/4 inch.

I have investigated a bit and it resembles the purse-web spider and california trapdoor spider, although i found this spider south tx, so i doubt it could be a california trapdoor.

If anybody can provide me with what this spider could possibly be, feel free to let me know. Or if anybody can let me know what spiders don't have a soft-body, rather a tought, armor-type body.let me know..Will appreciate it. please email me at erik_ut_2001@yahoo.com

Thanks

By an "armored" body, do you mean it had sclerites, or hardened plates on the top of the abdoman, by any chance?

If you can post a picture that wouldA picture would help a lot.

Too bad you can't post a picture of it.

Also, where did you catch this spider (country, state, region, etc)?

[jsloan]

Also, where did you catch this spider (country, state, region, etc)?

I see it now in your post, south Texas. I'll just take a wild guess (and maybe you can look up pictures to help you): Genus: Antrodiatus Some of the these spiders have sclerites or plates on the top of the abdoman (if that's what you mean by armored).

[vulpina]

Possibly a member of the micrathena (spp?) family

Andy

[alex21]

By an "armored" body, do you mean it had sclerites, or hardened plates on the top of the abdoman, by any chance?

If you can post a picture that wouldA picture would help a lot.

Too bad you can't post a picture of it.

Also, where did you catch this spider (country, state, region, etc)?

Yes, by "armored" body i meant it had sclerites. Where the eyes are, and I am not sure if this part of the body is the spiders abdomen, it almost seems like if it has a helmet on. It is very hard, like a plate as you mentioned.

could you provide a more specific species name of the spider. I investigated Antrodiatus and did come up with a picture of a Antrodiaetus pacificus. This spider looks really similar to the one i caught. the only differense is the last segment of the body, where the silk of the web comes out, it had a whitish color. like light gray it seemed with a white spray paint.

anyways, let me know what other types of species you know.

thanks