Atypus karschi (a type of trapdoor spider)
Only when written 土蜘蛛
A mygalomorph spider native to East Asia. In Japanese, usually written in kana. The kanji 土蜘蛛 literally means 'earth spider'.
See also: ジグモ
tsuchigumo (ancient non-Yamato people)
Historical term for indigenous or non-Yamato groups in ancient Japan, often portrayed as earth-dwelling or cave-dwelling people in early chronicles. The kanji 土雲 is sometimes used.
The tsuchigumo digs a hole in the ground and builds a nest.
In the Kojiki, people called tsuchigumo appear.
Refers to ground spiders in general (family Gnaphosidae), while つちぐも specifically denotes the mygalomorph species Atypus karschi.
tarantula
Kanji spelling for the spider sense, but kana is strongly preferred.
Historical kanji spelling for the ancient people sense; rarely used in modern texts.
Literally 'earth spider' or 'earth cloud'. The spider sense is a direct compound of 土 (earth) and 蜘蛛 (spider). The ancient people sense may derive from a different origin, possibly a derogatory term likening them to earth-dwelling creatures, but the exact derivation is uncertain.