Caught in pitfall trap near Gainesville, Hall County, GA. In mature hardwood forest, near a spring-seep wetland. These big black spiders are related to tarantulas. They are very rarely seen because they are strongly nocturnal and spend most of their time in cryptic tube-shaped webs. The web extends from a tunnel and runs up the base of a tree trunk for a few centimeters. The spiders detect prey crawling on the outside of the tube and grab the prey from INSIDE the web. They feast, and repair the damage later. Neat hunting strategy. The males wander in search of mates, and I suppose that's what this guy was doing when it blundered into our trap.