Purse-Web Spiders

14mm female Purse-web Spider (Atypus affinis), on Surrey heathland, 1st October 2022

Purse-web Spider (Atypus affinis)

The Purse-web Spider is a nationally scarce, illusive and very distinctive spider in the UK. This special spider is our only native species of mygalomorph. Mygalomorphae is a sub-order of arachnids that includes Tarantulas, Trap-door Spiders and Funnel-web Spiders. All other spiders found in Britain are of the sub-order Araneomorphae. Mygalomorph spiders have been stalking the earth since the Triassic period, some 350 million years ago. The Purse-web Spider is most frequently found in the south and south-east of England, with a very scattered distribution at other coastal and heathland sites around the UK. The preferred habitat is heathland and undisturbed grassland sites, especially chalk or limestone grassland. The binominal name for the genus "Atypus" is believed to originated from the term "atypical form" due to the disproportionate size of the chelicerae, when compared to the rest of the spider's body-parts.

The Purse-web Spider has relatively short legs and a small abdomen, compared to its large cephalothorax, and huge chelicera and fangs. When viewed from above the chelicera can be longer than the cephalothorax itself. Despite the spider's intimidating appearance their bite is not dangerous to humans. Whilst the large jaws are capable of inflicting a fairly deep bite the venom of the Purse-Web Spider is harmless to humans. Males usually reach a body-length of around 7-10mm and the larger females 10-15mm. 22mm female specimens have been recorded in the UK. Males can be identified by their darker, hardened scutum, in the anterior surface of their abdomen. Males also have a slightly smaller abdomen and longer, thinner legs than the females. The legs of the male are also darker with light tarsi. The legs of the female are fairly universal in colour and they're slightly lighter than those of the male. The female's legs can also look slightly translucent. Typical habitat can include heathland, chalk grassland, and even road-side verges. They also seem to have a preference for south-facing slopes, and usually build there purse-webs in spots that are exposed to the sun for at least part of the day. On heathland sites the Purse-web Spider often builds its burrow at the sloping edge of pathways, or bare patches of sand, under overhanging heather.

The Purse-web Spider spends most of its life living underground in a silk-lined tunnel. This tunnel extends above ground in the form of a 4-10cm sock-shaped purse web. This sock-web resembles a wooded root and is often fixed to short grass or low vegetation via tough silk at the surface end. The spider often covers this part of its web in leaves and other debris, making it very difficult to spot. The Purse-Web Spider waits hidden inside this purse / sock web for unsuspecting invertebrates to walk over the surface of, or land on top of, the sock. At this point the Purse-web Spider springs into action and using its hugely over-sized fangs it bites through the webbing and into its prey from underneath. The prey is held in place until sufficiently subdued, before the Purse-Web Spider drags the prey back down through the web. Sometimes the spider has to cut a slit in the sock-web before its prey can be dragged through. Underneath each of the spider's impressive chelicerae is a row of 11 or 12 very sharp teeth. When the prey is pierced by the spider's fangs the spider then pulls the prey downwards, impaling it against these sharp teeth. These rows of small teeth are also used as a saw to cut a slit in the surface of the sock so that prey can be dragged into the burrow.

Atypus affinis often dispose of their dead prey above the ground near the sock part of their web. From examining these remains Atypus affinis is known to feed on beetles, earwigs, flies, woodlice, and bees. It's very likely that the Atypus affinis would probably feed on any crawling invertebrates that happen to stumble across its web.

The burrow of the Purse-web Spider usually extends to depths of 15-30cm below the surface of the ground, but can sometimes be as deep as 50cm. Adult females usually spend their entire lives below ground living in their burrows. Adult males do leave their burrows for one purpose though, usually in late summer or early autumn, as they head off in search of female burrows in order to find a mate. Males can sometimes also be found searching for females in the springtime too. Males typically reach maturity at around four years of age. Once a male Purse-web Spider reaches maturity and leaves the safety of its burrow the countdown has begun and the spider's remaining time is limited. Males must find the burrows of the females before they run out of time and reach the natural end of their days.

Male Purse-Web Spiders are attracted to the burrows of mature female specimens by a scent released by the females. Upon arrival at the burrow of a potential mate the male will begin strumming and tugging on the webbing. As with many species of spider this pattern of strumming and tugging will be unique to this species and will be easily recognisable by a female so there's little chance of her confusing this male with a potential prey species. If the female accepts the male's invitation to pair-up then the male can safely enter the female's burrow. If the female isn’t receptive to his approaches she will tug back aggressively on the webbing and the male will then retreat and continue with his search for a receptive mate.

Once the male Purse-Web Spider enters the burrow of a receptive female here it will remain for the rest of its days. The male dies shortly after mating, usually at the age of around 4 years old. The male does not even live long enough to see its offspring hatch. The female, and occasionally her offspring if they hatch in time, will feed on the dead body of the male, although they play no part in his demise. The female lives for around 8 years in total.

When mating occurs in autumn the female egg-sacs will usually not hatch until the following summer. Juvenile specimens may continue to live with their mother in her burrow for close to a year. Other sources claim that the eggs hatch in the spring and the spiderlings leave their mother's burrow soon after their first moult. After this they can be found above ground as they disperse from their mother's burrow and head out looking for suitable habitat to build burrows of their own. The spiderlings may not always immediately build a burrow of their own but may spend the first stage of their independent life living above ground for a while. On heathland sites in Surrey groups of tiny Purse-web Spiders have been photographed building a communal silk rigging in heather, before dispersing. LINK

It is believed that the Purse-web Spider hibernates at the bottom of its burrow during the colder months of November through to February.

Even in the depths of its burrow the Purse-web Spider still has enemies. The Spider-Hunting Wasp, Aporus unicolor specializes in preying upon Atypus affinis, and hunts the spider in its own burrow. Once located the wasp tears open the purse-web and enters the burrow. The wasp uses its powerful sting to paralyse the spider, before injecting it with a single parasitic egg. As the grub of the wasp grows the spider eventually dies. The grub then feeds on its remains. Due to the rarity of the Purse-web Spider this wasp is also a nationally scarce species too. (LINK)

But wasps aren't the only enemy of the Purse-web Spider though, they are also predated upon by birds and small mammals too. Corvids can be a serious threat to Purse-web Spiders. On heathland, in woodland clearings and at grassland sites, the Eurasian Jay is known to actively search for purse-webs, and pluck the entire webs from the ground, in the hope of catching themselves an arachnid meal. (LINK) At coastland sites there's another corvid that also seeks out the purse-webs, the Chough. (LINK)

There are also other small birds that regularly hunt for invertebrates at ground level. These opportunist feeders will also seize a chance to feed on Atypus affinis if they encounter one. A Desert Wheatear was photographed feeding on a Purse-web Spider it had caught at Beachy Head, in Sussex. (LINK). During May 2013 the owner of a Hampshire garden, that supports a colony of Purse-web Spiders, noted that Blackbirds had been pecking around the Purse-webs in his garden and that a Blackbird was observed flying off with a 50cm Purse-web in its beak. He also observed two adult Salticus scenicus feeding on tiny Atypus affinis spiderlings as they attempted to disperse. - (see page 21 LINK)

There there are 3 species of Atypus found in Europe, Atypus piceus, Atypus muralis, and Atypus affinis. There is some speculation though that Atypus piceus could just be the result of hybridisation between Atypus affinis and Atypus muralis. Atypus affinis is the only Atypus sp. found in the UK.

LINK 1 LINK 2 LINK 3 LINK 4 LINK 5 LINK 6 LINK 7

14mm female Purse-web Spider, on Surrey heathland, 1st October 2022

Are Purse-web Spiders Britain's only Tarantula?

The media often refers to Atypus affinis as Britain's only Tarantula. It's also regularly repeated that Atypus affinis is the only British species that belongs to the same family as Tarantulas. However both of these statements are incorrect. Atypus affinis is not a Tarantula, nor does it even belong to the same family as Tarantulas. Tarantulas belong to the family Theraphosidae, whilst Atypus affinis belongs to the family Atypidae. Both belong to the Mygalomorphae sub-order / infraorder of arachnids though, from the order Araneae. And Atypus affinis is the UK’s only Mygalomorph species.

14mm female Purse-web Spider, on Surrey heathland, 1st October 2022

Whilst this most might look aggressive the spider is merely putting on a threat display as a warning not to be messed with. As I laid on the forest floor photographing this Purse-Web Spider I tickled its chelicerae with a blade of grass to encourage it to show its fangs. Once the fangs were reared up as a warning the spider held this pose for about 10 minutes without making any attempt to strike. As with many other mygalomorphs the Purse-Web Spider has flashes of red colouration beneath its chelicerae that add to the dramatic effect of the pose and serve to intimidate any potential attackers.

14mm female Purse-web Spider, on Surrey heathland, 1st October 2022

Would a Purse-web Spider make a good pet?

No, Atypus affinis would not make a good pet. Taking and keeping a wild Atypus affinis in captivity would be a very bad idea. If you’re lucky enough to encounter a wandering male specimen, once it’s come above ground to search for a mating partner, then taking one from the wild to keep as a pet would be both selfish and foolish. Let me explain why. From the moment these mature males leave their burrows their biological clock is ticking and their days are numbered. They have just weeks to find a receptive female and transfer their sperm before they come to a natural end of their days. That would be a very short-lived pet.

If anyone found the purse-webs of Atypus affinis and decided to dig one up, and keep it as a pet, they would be equally as selfish and foolish. This is a species that lives an almost entirely subterranean life. Most specimens taken into captivity probably wouldn’t dig themselves another burrow due to stress. Without the burrow and the purse-webs these spiders wouldn’t feed, and would die of starvation. If the spider did actually dig itself another burrow in captivity then that would be the last time the owner would ever see the spider again. Females never leave their burrows unless forced to, and lead an entirely subterranean life. What would be the point in keeping a creature that you never got to see?

As well as the points I've already mentioned let's not forget that in the UK Atypus affinis is classed a nationally scarce species. Some colonies are small and isolated, and taking any specimens from those colonies could be detrimental to the future survival of the colony. If anyone really is set on keeping a Purse-web Spider in captivity then there are other captive-bred Atypus species available to buy through the exotic pet-trade, which would stand a far better chance of surviving in captivity, with having a detrimental effect on native populations.

14mm female Purse-web Spider, on Surrey heathland, 1st October 2022

24cm extracted Purse-web, on Surrey heathland, 1st October 2022

The image above is the full sock-web of the Purse-Web Spider after it had been extracted from the loose sandy soil of a path-side bank at a Surrey heathland site.

Purse-web Spider, illustration by Jason Steel

This illustration depicts an unsuspecting grasshopper walking over the surface of the purse-web. Using its huge fangs the Purse-Web Spider would quickly bite through the surface of the purse-web and pierce the soft underbody of the Grasshopper. The fangs would draw the Grasshopper down against the small sharp teeth of the Purse-web Spider, where it would be pinned until the venom took effect. Once subdued the motionless Grasshopper would be dragged down through an opening in the purse-web, cut by the spider's small sharp teeth. The Grasshopper would then be taken down into the depths of the burrow. Once the prey had been consumed, or wrapped for later consumption, the Purse-Web Spider would return to the upper section of its burrow to repair the damage and seal the purse-web once again.

This digital illustration was loosely inspired by a drawing from the 1958 "World Of Spiders" book, by W S Bristowe. I sketched pencil drawings from my own photographs first before creating the final illustration in Photoshop.

3 of the 5 Purse-webs recorded on Surrey heathland, 9th October 2022

These small sections of the Purse-Webs, measuring just 4-6cm in length, disguised the true length of the burrows, which probably extended to 20-30cm or more beneath the surface of the soil.

14mm female Purse-web Spider on the palm of my hand.

Tiny 2.5mm Purse-Web Spiderling extracted from a subterranean Purse-web, on Surrey heathland, 1st October 2022

Despite their tiny size the 2.5mm spiderlings are perfect miniature replicas of the adult Purse-Web Spiders. The spiderlings can emerge from their purse-web anytime from February onwards if the weather is mild enough. Most mygalomorph spiderlings disperse by walking, but Atypus affinis is different. Atypus affinis spiderlings disperse by ballooning, a method of dispersal adopted by many "true spiders". They exit the purse-web for the first time, and do so in mass. They then climb to the top of nearby vegetation, often aided by silken threads they have floated in the wind until it latched onto the stems of nearby vegetation. Here they construct a network of communal webbing, whilst they wait for perfect conditions to disperse. When the conditions are right the spiderlings release a long strand of of silk which allows them to fly in the air like a kite. They then release the strand and allow themselves to be carried away by the air currents. This enables them to disperse over far greater distances than would otherwise be possible by just walking. When they land they begin looking for suitable substrate to dig their new burrows. From here onwards their lives will be entirely subterranean, apart from adult males, which will leave the burrow once they reach maturity and are ready to search for a female mating partner.

This behaviour was photographed on Surrey heathland in 2020, by photographer Dom Greves - LINK, and in February 2023, by Nopeland Discovery, in north Somerset. - LINK

Bernhard Jacobi also photographed the communal tent-web of the young Purse-web Spiders in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. - LINK

Darren Hill photographed the spiderlings constructing their communal tent-web in East Sussex on the 25th February 2025. It was the first dry, sunny and warm day of the year, with temperatures reaching an unusually high 17 °C. - LINK

How did I capture these photos of a female Purse-Web Spider?

Until October 1st 2022 I had searched in vain for Purse-Web Spiders to photograph for several years. The adult female Purse-Web Spider spends its entire life beneath the ground, hidden away in the safety of its burrow. Most female Purse-Web Spiders rarely see daylight during their adult life. Mature male specimens can occasionally be found though if you're lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Usually in the autumn, but occasionally in the spring, mature male Purse-Web Spiders leave their burrows and head off above ground to search for the burrows of female Purse-Web Spiders, in the hope of finding a mate.

Over the last couple of years I had tried visiting known hot-spots for Atypus affinis, in the hope of encountering a wandering male Purse-Web Spider, with no success at all. In October 2022 I headed to a heathland site in Surrey, where I had previously photographed several of the other species of wildlife that are featured on my website. On arrival at the site the weather was warm and dry with an air temperature of around 17 degrees. The sky had about 70% cloud cover with regular short bursts of sunlight, and even though I wasn't aware of any previous records of Atypus affinis being found at this site the habitat looked ideal and my hopes of finding a wandering male Purse-Web Spider were fairly high. After a few hours of searching the site I had failed to find any Purse-Web Spiders above the ground and my hopes had started to fade. I then decided to switch my focus to looking for the hidden webs of the Purse-Web Spider instead.

Before the day began I had pensively pondered over the moral dilemma of what I would do I were lucky enough to find the burrow of a Purse-Web Spider? Whilst I love my wildlife photography with real passion I have always carefully considered the well being and benefits to any species that my photography would affect. Was it right to potentially destroy the burrow of a nationally scarce species just so I could obtain my photos? This question troubled me for some time and I decided that I would only attempt to remove a burrow if I confidently felt that I could safely do so without causing irreversible damage to either the burrow or the spider itself. I also resolved that I would be using any photos obtained to educate and raise awareness of this threatened species. I then considered what time of year that would be least destructive to disrupt the burrows. My initial thoughts were that if the males could be found out searching for females during the autumn then surely this would be the best time of year to avoid disturbing a burrow that had the risk of containing either an egg-sac or young spiderlings inside? As it turned out I was wrong, and a little more research on the subject would have revealed that the spiderlings can be found in burrows for most of the year and usually start to disperse during the spring. In truth there is no ideal time to dig up these burrows.

So on this beautiful autumnal day I began my search by meticulously checking the south-facing banks of the sandy footpaths, that ran through the heathland, for signs of the small section of Purse-Web, that's situated above the ground, leading to the subterranean burrow of the Purse-Web Spider beneath.

After a long and painstaking search on my hands and knees I eventually found what I believed to be the 'sock' of the Purse-Web Spider. At just 4.5cm in length this section of the sock was smaller than I had expected to see, and I wasn't convinced that this was indeed what I was looking for. I pulled out my small garden trowel and very carefully began to loosen the soil around the sock. The sandy soil was already very soft and loose and it took minimal effort to delicately prize the full length of sock out from the ground. Yet again the full length of this sock was shorter than I had been expecting at just 12cm in length. It was with eager anticipation that I ran my fingers along the length of the sock to check if its creator was still resident inside. Sadly though this sock was completely empty, so it was then placed back in the ground from where it was removed.

I had previously read that where one Purse-Web is found there are usually more nearby, so I continued to search through the surface of the soil in the immediate vicinity. And there within a 60cm radius of the location of my first Purse-Web I sotted a further three socks. The visible sock sections ranged from 4cm to 6cm, & 7cm in length. I chose to unearth one of the larger and the most easily accessible Purse-Webs in the hope of finding this elusive spider. It proved similarly easy to excavate the full length of the sock from the soil but this sock went far deeper that my previous discovery. Once removed the sock was measured to have a total length of 24cm. On this occasion though there was an obvious bulge at the very bottom of the sock and my heart began to race with excitement as the chance of completing my mission grew ever closer.

The sock was laid in plastic container and the tip of the sock, that was previously found above the ground, was carefully opened up. Very slowly I began to encourage the bulge, situated at the opposite end of the sock, towards the opening I had created. The bulge took several minutes to reach the opening and I held my breath as the chelicerae of a good sized female Purse-Web Spider emerged first from the sock. She was reluctant to leave her burrow and once removed she sat very still, as she took in the surroundings of the world above ground, that she probably hadn't been exposed to for several years. This spider was absolutely stunning to see! The Purse-Web Spider is so incredibly unique in appearance when compared to any other British species. However, my complete delight of finally finding this incredible spider was brought to a sudden and abrupt halt as I then discovered the adult female Purse-Web Spider had not been alone in her burrow. Behind the female Purse-Web Spider a tiny, semi-translucent spiderling came slowly trundling out of the sock. I now had a heavy heart at the realisation that I had disturbed a nest. I quickly folded over the tip of the sock to prevent further escapees from leaving the sock, and my determination was now stronger than ever to successfully return this burrow safely to the ground once I had taken my photos. The spiderlings found in the sock had a body-length of around 2.5 - 3mm, and would have hatched from the egg-sac during the summer months. At this time of year they were likely to be from 4-12 weeks of age.

The sun had now come out from behind the clouds and I decided that I'd rather photograph the Purse-Web Spider, and her spiderling, using diffused flash lighting as opposed to ambient light. I headed off to the shade of the nearby hardwood forest that grew at the edge of this heathland site. Once under the cover of large trees I set about photographing my subjects on a white sheet of plastic. Even after placing my subject on a white plastic background the adult female Purse-Web Spider remained totally motionless for about 5 minutes. I began to fear that the spider may have been harmed during my excavation. I felt considerable relief when she finally sprung to life and began trying to trundle off.

After I'd photographed the spider on a white background I then gently placed the spider on the large green root of an adjacent tree, that stretched across the forest floor. The bright green root would add a touch of contrasting colour to the images. Once again the spider stayed totally still for me. It really was proving to be the perfect photographer's model. When it did start to move it immediately headed to the bed of pine needles that littered the ground and began to try to bury itself. Having photographed and observed this adult female Purse-Web Spider it was very clear that this spider was adapted to a life beneath the ground. Above ground, with its very short legs and stocky body, the spider was slow moving and lacked the agility seen with all other terrestrial species of spider. On the surface of the forest floor this spider would be very vulnerable to attack from predators. Even though the mature males only spend a very short part of their lives above ground, as they search for the burrows of a female mate, it's noticeable how much quicker and more agile the males are with their slightly thinner and longer legs.

The spiderling behaved very differently to its mother though and it was active the entire time it was placed on the white background for photos. Being so tiny I didn't risk photographing the spiderling on a natural background for fear of losing it.

With such an accommodating subject it didn't take too long for me to capture all the photos of the Purse-Web Spider that I had hoped for. I made sure that I captured her from every angle, and on several different backgrounds, as this would be the one and only time that I would ever excavate a Purse-Web Spider's burrow. I then retuned to where the burrow of the spider was originally located. Using a suitably sized stick I began poking a hole in the soil to a depth that slightly exceeded the length of the Purse-Web Spider's sock. The diameter of the stick was also slightly larger than that of the original burrow, which allowed me to slide the full length of the sock back beneath the ground in the same spot that it was excavated from. I left the tip of the sock above the ground as it had been before. The most difficult stage of the task was encouraging the adult spider to return back into her sock. Once both the adult spider and the spiderling were back in the sock I placed a very thin covering of loose soil around edges of the sock and placed a small amount of loose heather over the top of the sock. Whilst the Purse-Web Spider has been at the very top of my "wish-list", for species I'd love to photograph, for many years, this encounter left me with a bitter sweet feeling. I'm delighted that I managed to finally capture all the photos I was after, and add this species to my website, but my conscience is slightly troubled because of the disruption I have caused to a nest of young spiderlings, that would not usually leave the burrow for many more months. I now hope that my photography session hasn't been too disturbing for these special spiders, and that the adult Purse-Web Spider will reseal the tip of her burrow, and their subterranean life beneath the ground will continue as before.

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Have You Seen A Purse-web Spider, Or Their Distinctive Sock-webs?

If you've been lucky enough to encounter a wandering male Atypus affinis, or even you've been actively searching for this species and you've found their distinctive purse-webs, the I'd love to hear from you.

Records should also be officially recorded here - The BAS Purse-web Spider monitoring scheme

My search for Purse-web Spiders in October 2025

Finding an adult male Atypus affinis to photograph, and add to this page of my website, has been at the very top of my photographic wish-list for many years. I've searched many sites, on many occasions, over several years, hoping to fulfil this dream. Once mature the adult male Purse-web Spider takes a break from its subterranean life, within the depths of its burrow, and ventures above ground and out in the open for the first time since it built its own burrow several years earlier. Unlike the adult females, which are quite slow and cumbersome above ground, the adult male can move fairly quickly across ground, showing both moderate speed and agility thanks to its slightly longer legs. I wouldn't say these stocky spiders are fast but they definitely look like they're marching somewhere with purpose and determination when they're on the move. The trouble with searching for a male Atypus affinis isn't just because this is a nationally scarce species. Even if you do manage to find a site that still supports these rare spiders finding exactly where they have built their hidden purse-webs can be extremely difficult. And even if you manage to find the purse-webs unless you're prepared to excavate them, and risk destroying their habitat, then the only chance you have of seeing a mature male is if you just happen to be in the right place at the right time when the male finally decides to leave its burrow and come above ground. The odds of this happening whilst you are there are incredibly slim. This is why the majority of sightings of male Purse-web Spiders are from random members of the public, who just happened to be in the right place at the right time by complete chance, rather than by arachnologists who have been actively searching for one of these spiders for years.

With a week off work in early October 2025 I began my research by scouring the internet for all recorded sightings of Purse-web Spiders, at sites that are within sensible travelling distance from my home. Following a tip from a member of the British Spider ID Group I began my 2025 search in Folkestone. I had been informed that Purse-web Spiders could be found at the Cheriton Rd Cemetery in Folkestone CT20 1DF, which is sometimes known as the Old Cemetery. Unfortunately immediately upon arrival it was pretty clear that the habitat of this cemetery just wasn't right for Atypus affinis at all. But since I was there I decided I might as well have a good look for these spiders anyway. Despite searching the flat, grassy ground for about 2 hours my suspicions were confirmed and there were no signs of any Purse-web Spiders, or even any suitable habitat for this species. But just because the habitat isn't right for Atypus affinis at this site doesn't automatically mean that no specimens could ever have been found there. I've since found out that Atypus affinis have been recorded on the nearby Folkstone Downs, so it's always possible that a young specimen may have been carried to this site by the wind when the tiny spiderlings were dispersing by the method known as ballooning. One adult male Atypus affinis was recorded on the Folkestone Downs in March 2024. - LINK

My next outing was also based on another tip from a member of the British Spider ID Group. This time I headed off to Dover. An adult male Purse-web Spider had recently wandered into the private garden of this member, and his sighting had been shared on Facebook. After contacting the member he had informed me that his garden backed onto the Coombe Down Nature Reserve in Dover. Having searched the internet for any links to Atypus affinis at this site I was unable to find any mention of these spiders being previously found there at all. But this time I knew the spiders had to be there as one had recently wandered into the member's adjacent garden. Coombe Down Nature Reserve is situated on a large hill, giving some nice views of the Dover countryside below. The soil is rich in chalk and flint and there were plenty of south-facing slopes, open ground with low or with sparse vegetation, that seemed like ideal habitat for the Purse-web Spider. Despite spending an entire day searching the site I failed to find any spiders or their purse-webs there either. I also checked a couple a nearby sites, with possibly suitable habitat, that I had noticed as I had driven passed them.

So where to next? I had heard of a member of the public having a chance encounter with a male Purse-web Spider a couple of years previous, after the spider had been spotted as it was crossing a sandy pathway at Hampstead Heath, in NW London. It was my wife that reminded me of this site and with just one day left of my week off work I decided to pay this urban London site a visit. Hampstead Heath is the oldest known site in London that hosts Atypus affinis. For many years it was believed to be the only site in London that supported a colony of these rare spiders. Apparently there are now other known sites within London where Atypus affinis have been recorded. Unfortunately though I don't yet know where these sites are.

Living in SE London the NW Hampstead Heath site is just 16 miles from my home. Unfortunately to get there meant driving through London at an average speed of just 10mph. So an hour and a half after setting off I was finally able to pull up in my car at Hampstead Heath's East Heath Car Park. Now that I was there the next problem was paying for parking. This car park requires payment using the "Ring Go" phone App. Unfortunately I didn't have this App on my phone and due to insufficient signal on my phone I was also unable to download it either. Not that this really mattered once I had checked out the cost of parking in this car park for the day. I had planned on exploring the park until about 4pm. It was now 10am so I needed to pay for 6 hours of parking. That would cost a total of £35.80!! Outrageous! So unable, and unwilling, to pay for parking at this car park I headed off to see if parking on one of the side roads would be any cheaper. And guess what, just 200 meters away from the over-priced car park was a residential street, Downshire Hill, and parking on this road is completely free on a Sunday. Result!

So now that I was parked up, and strolling into Hampstead Heath, I just needed to find out where the Purse-web Spiders were. As its name suggests Hampstead Heath was once a large heathland site, but for many years the heathland has slowly given way to woodland, with much of the site having been turned into a large public park, with open grass areas, many years ago. To walk around the outside of the park would take you on a journey of nearly 7 miles. So finding the spiders within a site of that size was always going to be a challenge. Google hadn't been particularly helpful in narrowing down my search either.

Atypus affinis is supposedly a key species in the Heath's annual management plan. The site is managed by the City Of London and the Heath Hands volunteer group. The Heath Hands made mention of "discreet ledges" that had been dug to support the Purse-web Spiders in 2023, and large areas of overgrown Gorse, tree saplings and Bramble that had been cut back to provide open ground, for the spiders to dig their burrows, as well as areas of recently planted Heather. Their articles mentioned that the Purse-web Spiders could be found "living on the sandy slopes of the Vale of Health". - LINK 1 LINK 2. The Vale of Health is an area to the West of Hampstead Heath, so I decided this would be the focal point of my search for Atypus affinis during this visit to Hampstead Heath. Despite repeatedly walking around this part of the Heath for several hours I failed to find any habitat that looked ideal for these spiders. The few areas of sandy banks, at the edge of the pathways, were either completely shaded or they were trampled by the very heavy pedestrian traffic of joggers and dog-walkers, who use the park daily.

It was only when I finally decided to focus my attention on what species of plant were growing in each area that I finally had some success. I failed to find any of the "discreet ledges" that had been reportedly dug by the Heath Hands workers in 2023. Atypus affinis is primarily a heathland species so it made sense that I looked for heathland plants, such as Heather and Gorse. I only managed to find one small area of Gorse. This area was completely overgrown with dense Gorse, Brambles and tree saplings, and if this was the area that had previously been cleared by the Heath Hands volunteers in 2023 then it desperately needed major work once again in 2025. Beneath the shadows of the towering Gorse bushes were many small Heather plants too. Surely this had to be the right area to find the spiders? Most of this area was just too overgrown to search. Instead I decided to look around smaller Gorse Bushes that had some space around them. One Gorse Bush caught my attention. it was growing on the top of a small mound. I got on my hands and knees and began lifting the lower branches of the small heather plants that were growing at the base of the Gorse. I thoroughly checked underneath for any signs of the dusty-socks of the Purse-web Spiders. Once I switched my attention to the short grass, that grew on the mound beneath the Gorse bush, I finally found what I was looking for. There were small, bare, patches of soil, hidden beneath overhanging grass tussocks, where the purse-webs of Atypus affinis could be found. Within a small area of around 15 square metres I managed to find 12 purse-webs. A couple of these purse-webs were situated on the flat grassy surface of the top of the mound, within small depressions in the soil. Again these depressions were hidden beneath the cover of grass that grew around them, so none of the 12 purse-webs that I counted were exposed to direct sunlight. I laid down on the grass beside one of the purse-webs and began gently stroking the upper surface of the purse-web with a blade of grass. I was hoping to witness the spider launch an attack from within the purse-web, and pierce the webbing with its huge fangs. I could easily see a distinct bulge moving within the purse-web. This burrow was definitely occupied! Unfortunately instead of the spider attacking the blade of grass it disappeared down its tubular burrow and into the ground. My footsteps as I walked over the mound had obviously alerted the spider to my presence, and it wasn't going to be tricked into thinking that I was a small invertebrate that it could catch for its next meal.

I also found about another dozen purse-webs, that had been dug up and were scattered in pieces around the immediate area. Were these old purse-webs signs of a predator that had dug up the spiders, or were they an indication of human interference? It's highly likely that corvids were to blame, particularly the Eurasian Jays. Jays are known to actively search for purse-webs and pluck the entire webs from the ground, in the hope of catching an arachnid meal.

So with my week off work now at an end I still hadn't managed to find and photograph an adult male Atypus affinis for my website, but for now it was time to just focus on the positives. In 2025 I could finally confirm that Atypus affinis was definitely still established at Hampstead Heath, even if it was just in one very small area.

The hidden, and well camouflaged purse-webs of Atypus affinis, that I found at Hampstead Heath, NW London. 12th October 2025.

9mm adult male Purse-web Spider, found in north Somerset, 20th October 2025.

On the 20th October, with the 2025 season coming to an end, I was surprised, and delighted, when I received a message from Alice informing me that she had found a wandering adult male Atypus affinis at a site, in north Somerset, on the SW coast of England, about 15 miles from Bristol. This is a site where Alice had reported a good, strong colony of Atypus affinis. Alice had previously found several Purse-web Spiders at this site, and many webs of these spiders too, usually hidden within the short grass growing on a south-facing slope. Alice noted that this is an area where large numbers of ants, and the occasional rabbit, help keep the sandy soil loose, which is ideal habitat suitable for these spiders.

* I'd like to say a huge thank you to Alice for contacting me and allowing me the opportunity to finally photograph a male Purse-web Spider, and add the photos to my website. I'm extremely grateful to have had the pleasure of photographing this rare and rather special little spider. *

9mm adult male Purse-web Spider, found in north Somerset, 20th October 2025.

9mm male and 14mm female Purse-web Spiders.

The adult male and female Purse-web Spiders look quite different to each other. Males are smaller in size. The male's abdomen is proportionally much smaller. The male has a dark, hardened scutum, in the anterior surface of their abdomen. Males also have proportionally longer, and thinner legs than the females. The legs of the male are also darker with light tarsi. Females have a much stockier appearance. The legs of the female are fairly universal in colour and they're slightly lighter than those of the male. The female's legs can also look slightly translucent. The female is lighter in shade, browner in colour, and has a more glossy appearance. The male's chelicerae are proportionally longer than those of the female.

Wandering male specimens, and sites where Atypus affinis have been recorded.

Mature male Purse-web Spiders usually head off to search for the webs of female mating partners in Autumn, specifically September and October. Sometimes they may commence their search for a mating partner in the in spring. This is usually the only time these magnificent spiders are ever seen above ground, as they follow the scent of the pheromones emitted by the mature females. The Purse-web Spider is most frequently found in the south of England, with a very scattered distribution at other coastal and heathland sites around the UK. Here are some recent records of wandering males found by members of the public:

8th December 2025 - Worthing Cemetery, Sussex. - LINK

11th May 2023 - Studland Heath, Dorset. - LINK

November 14th 2023 - Private garden, Three Legged Cross Village, east Dorset. - LINK

November 15th 2023 - Durdle Door Beach, south Dorset. - LINK

November 19th 2023 - Croydon, south London. A very unusual record as this male specimen was found running across a dinning-room floor. - LINK

October 27th 2025 - Ashdown Forest, East Sussex. - LINK

October 13th 2022 - Fulbourn Fen Nature Reserve. Cambridgeshire - LINK

Autumn 2018 - Caldy Hill, Wirral Peninsula in North West England. An area of heath and woodland on a sandstone outcrop. & Thurstaston Common, a heathland site on the Wirral Peninsula in North West England. (found by rich.burkmar@gmail.com) - LINK

Brockadale Nature Reserve near Pontefract, in Yorkshire. - LINK

27th October 2025 - Ashdown Forest, East Sussex. - LINK

Other sites where Atypus affinis have been found:

White Rock Garden. Hastings. East Sussex

Willingdon Down, Eastbourne, East Sussex. (see locations in LINK)

Seaford Cliffs, part of the Seven Sisters, a famous stretch of chalk cliffs between Seaford and Eastbourne, in East Sussex.

Southerham Farm Nature Reserve, Lewes, Sussex

Seaford Head Nature Reserve, Sussex.

Beachy Head, Sussex.

Brown Loaf Cutting, New Forest.

Black Cap, Sussex.

Matley Sandpit, New Forest. - (LINK)

Lullington Heath, Eastbourne.

South Lakes, Cumbria.

Canford Heath, Dorset.

Knettishall Heath, Thetford, Suffolk.

Avon Heath Country Park, South Park. Dorset.

Studland Heath. Dorset.

Cleeve Common. Gloucestershire.

Hangmans Wood. Grays. Essex.

Coombe Down Nature Reserve. Dover.

Sennen Cove, Cornwall.

Brentmoor Heath. Woking. Surrey.

Sugarloaf Hill, Folkestone Downs. Kent.

A video, filmed in Cumbria, was shared on YouTube, which showed the Purse-web Spider in ideal habitat at the most northerly extent of their range in the UK. This colony of Atypus afinis were filmed on the south-facing, sunny slopes of the South Lakes in Cumbria, where these spiders build their sock-webs under the limestone rocks that are common on these slopes. - Watch video here.

Other Information

There are around 58 different species of Purse-web Spiders around the world. They are split between 3 genus; Atypus, Calommata and Sphodros. A list of these species can be found on this website - LINK. Generally Atypus species can be found in the UK, Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa. Calommata in Africa and Asia. Sphodros in North America.

BAS Purse-web Spider Factsheet

CLICK HERE FOR: 1 - SPIDERS, 2 - LARGE ORB-WEAVERS 3 - JUMPING SPIDERS 4 - FALSE WIDOW SPIDERS 5 - CRAB SPIDERS

6 - ORB-WEAVERS 7 - NON-NATIVE SPIDERS 8 - SPIDERS WEBS 9 - CAVE SPIDERS 10 - PURSE-WEB SPIDERS

All Photographs on this page were taken using the Canon 7D mkii camera, the Canon 100mm Macro 2.8L IS lens, Canon 580 ex flash and MK Diffuser.