North Carolina trapdoor spiders (Ummidia)

Some information I gleaned in attempting to confirm an ID recently--putting it here for reference:

Ummidia audouini seems to be the widespread species in much of the East, but I just looked at a recent taxonomic revision, and there are some caveats. Males can be keyed, perhaps, with a specimen and close examination. Females, generally cannot be identified to species.
Helpfully, Godwin and Bond (2021) note: "Ummidia audouini can be differentiated from all other co-occurring species in the eastern United States by the presence of a brush on the retrolateral face of tarsus IV and being relatively larger and hairier than other species."
The recently described Ummidia neilgaimani has been noted from the Appalachian region, including in North Carolina. Seems there are other species found in the deep south, with ranges not well known.
BugGuide now lists all records at genus level, a practice that perhaps should be followed in iNaturalist, but I will defer to spider experts on that.
Arachnids of North Carolina lists four species of Ummidia for the state: Ummidia audouini, U. carabivora, U. neilgaimani, and U. rongodwini; plus records unidentified to species.
References

• Arachnids of North Carolina https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/arachnid/accounts.php?family=HALONOPROCTIDAE
• BugGuide https://bugguide.net/node/view/6935
• Godwin RL, Bond JE (2021) Taxonomic revision of the New World members of the trapdoor spider genus Ummidia Thorell (Araneae, Mygalomorphae, Halonoproctidae). ZooKeys 1027: 1-165. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1027.54888

Posted on November 19, 2023 03:40 PM by cotinis