Family: Dipluridae, Funnelweb Mygalomorphs view all from this
family Description 1/8" (3-5 mm). Tan to yellowish-brown to
reddish-brown, hairy. Large body. Belongs to the group of
primitive spiders commonly called tarantulas. Constructs tube-
shaped webs. Habitat Mature coniferous (spruce-fir) forest.
Range Southern Appalachian Mountains, western North Carolina and
eastern Tennessee. Endangered Status The Spruce-fir Moss Spider
is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as
endangered in North Carolina and Tennessee. This species has
strict habitat requirements: it lives in damp mats of moss
growing on rocks in the deep shade of mature Fraser Fir and Red
Spruce trees. These old-growth forests have been under attack
for centuries, felled by timber interests and suffering from the
effects of human dominance of the landscape. Recently, an
introduced insect, the Balsam Woolly Adelgid, has been killing
off fir and spruce trees, and the spider has declined as well.
Only two populations of Spruce-fir Mos