The Kimura spider is found in Japan where it is known are ‘kimura-gumo’. It is known as an Old-World Species, which refers to Asian, African and European species which existed before the exploration of Americas. They are around 400 million years old, making them one of the most primitive spiders in the world. The Kimura Spider was named after Japanese botanist, Akira Kimura who collected them in 1920. The Kimura spider belongs to the order Mesothelae and reaches up to 3cm in length. Kimura spiders are brown in colour. It is a non-venomous spider with large, strong chelicerae which form the shape of two large, strong, downward facing fangs. The cephalothorax is flat, and the abdomen is relatively small in comparison. The Kimura spider has 8 eyes. The anterior median eyes are small while the posterior median eyes are large. The respiratory system of Kimura spiders consists only of book lungs. They have segmented abdomens and spinnerets. Kimura spiders are tube dwelling and will construct trap doors at the entrance to their burrows. The Kimuras burrow is distinguished by a ‘pill box’ like flap at the entrance to the burrow. Female Kimura spiders rarely leave their burrows, while the males will wander, particularly in breeding season when they will go in search for a mate. When leaving the burrow, Kimura spiders will leave a string of silk web following behind them as a lifeline so they can find their way back to the burrow. Kimura spiders are nocturnal and are only active at night. Although the Kimura spider lacks venom glands, it is still capable of delivering a painful bite.
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