Mygalomorph hunters
In drier regions, Trapdoor Spiders disguise their burrows with doors made of dry leaf litter. They weave twig 'triplines' into the burrow's rim and leap out from under the door when prey walk over the triplines. Photo: M Gray © Australian Museum.
Most mygalomorph spiders are ambushing hunters. Many leap from burrow entrances in ground, log or tree trunk retreats to capture passing prey. Some burrow dwellers lurk behind trapdoors but others, like tarantulas and funnel-webs, will forage on the surface in the vicinity of the burrow at night. A few make sheet or curtain-like webs at their burrow entrances which can impede both prey and predators. Others have silk or twig trip-lines radiating out from the burrow entrance to alert spiders to prey walking nearby. Yet others are vagrants living in leaf litter and using vibration and touch to sense and ambush prey.
