| BIOLOGY |
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Male spiders and young females live in shallow burrows. They are driven indoors
by the first falls rains. Habitat: Chaparral, grassland, scrub; burrows
are constructed and the upper fourth is lined with silk which spreads out
from the burrow's mouth. Range: California and Nevada; common throughout
the inner coastal range of northern California. Food: Predators of
any arthropod small enough for them to handle. In culture: 1 cricket per
week. They are also reported to subsist for some time on noctuid moths.
Growth: gradual molts several times. Eggs: many eggs are encased
in an egg sac made of silk; Adult: males become sexually mature after
their last molt and die after one mating season. The females live longer
than the males and continue to molt about once a year after becoming sexually
mature. Behavior: mating season is in the fall and this is the time
when these spiders are most likely to be found wandering about. Life
Span: Several years.