What on earth is this? - SOLVED! Purseweb Spider, Sphodros rufipes

General Fruit Growing
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One of my pawpaws, about an inch in diameter, has this mysterious substance coming out of the ground and attaching to the trunk.
I keep removing it and it comes back. It’s gooey and kinda grey, but as you can see it’s kinda coated in dirt. Honestly it seems like a moist spider web.
I pulled all of it off/out the other day and there is a perfectly round hole in the ground about half an inch across.
I filled the hole with dirt and now it’s back!

I haven’t googled yet - thought I’d start here

Also - anyone else having issues with the site rotating pictures?!? Grrr

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Could it be this?!?!
https://www.inquirer.com/science/volunteer-scientists-philadelphia-rare-pennsylvanian-purseweb-spider-mystery-animal-atypus-snetsingeri-20190824.html

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Very cool!

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This was an excellent read, great find!

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Thanks! Yep I feel pretty special to have one of these guys in residence. I’ll be finally leaving him alone now!!

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@TrilobaTracker are you within their known range? Very cool!

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Well it seems like there are multiple genera of “purseweb” spiders- mine must NOT be the one in the above article. I think it’s the species I put in the edited topic name.

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