Hi, welcome to Spider ID. ๐ This looks like some-sort of Trapdoor Spider (Mygalomorphae). I’m not familiar with the species in Italy so I don’t have a genus suggestion yet. The extra pair of legs (shorter appendages near the spider’s mouth) are pedipalps. They are used as reproductive organs on male spiders, females have them too but they are simpler and can be used to help hold prey. This is probably a wandering male in search of a mate.
Are any European Ummidia this hairy? I didn’t see any in range so I backed up to family, looked for Italy and found Cteniza moggridgei which it strongly resembles … except for the depression or whatever it is that’s going on on the tibia of leg III there … filing to family. ๐
The other two choices are Cteniza brevidens which has no described male, and Cteniza sauvagesi. The description I read didn’t mention the tibia … I found a video of one though, if you skip ahead and pause it at 4:34 (at this point he’s lost leg IV on both sides!) the bump on tibia III on the right side is visible. So tentatively I think Ctenzia sauvagesi is likely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1q9tw-VNTU Edit: Now I need to make sure C. moggridgei isn’t also an option range-wise because the image needed to be at an awkward angle to see the bump on leg… Read more ยป
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Hi, welcome to Spider ID. ๐ This looks like some-sort of Trapdoor Spider (Mygalomorphae). I’m not familiar with the species in Italy so I don’t have a genus suggestion yet. The extra pair of legs (shorter appendages near the spider’s mouth) are pedipalps. They are used as reproductive organs on male spiders, females have them too but they are simpler and can be used to help hold prey. This is probably a wandering male in search of a mate.
I think it’s an Ummidia sp. This genus has a depression in the tibia of leg 3, and I think I can see it in this specimen.
Are any European Ummidia this hairy? I didn’t see any in range so I backed up to family, looked for Italy and found Cteniza moggridgei which it strongly resembles … except for the depression or whatever it is that’s going on on the tibia of leg III there … filing to family. ๐
I need to look at the other Cteniza, I just realized the location includes species I overlooked because the range was restricted to a small area.
The other two choices are Cteniza brevidens which has no described male, and Cteniza sauvagesi. The description I read didn’t mention the tibia … I found a video of one though, if you skip ahead and pause it at 4:34 (at this point he’s lost leg IV on both sides!) the bump on tibia III on the right side is visible. So tentatively I think Ctenzia sauvagesi is likely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1q9tw-VNTU Edit: Now I need to make sure C. moggridgei isn’t also an option range-wise because the image needed to be at an awkward angle to see the bump on leg… Read more ยป
Moved to genus.