Stegodyphus dufouri, commonly known as the Egyptian Pink Velvet Spider or Desert Velvet Spider, is a species of velvet spider (family Eresidae) primarily found in North and West Africa, including Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia. 
 
Physical Characteristics
Appearance: They are known for a "velvety" texture due to dense hair and typically feature warm, earthy tones like beige and light brown with intricate dark markings.
Size: Adult females reach a legspan of approximately 1.5 inches (roughly 3–4 cm), while spiderlings are often sold at sizes of 5mm to 1cm.
Sexual Dimorphism: Like many velvet spiders, males are often more vibrantly coloured (sometimes with red and black patterns), whereas females tend to be duller shades of grey, brown, or black. 
 
Behaviour and Life Cycle
Social Structure: Unlike some other Stegodyphus species (like S. dumicola), S. dufouri is generally solitary as an adult. They may show high tolerance as juveniles, but subadults and adults typically live in individual webs.
Matriphagy: This species exhibits extreme parental care where the mother eventually sacrifices her body to be consumed by her offspring to ensure their survival, a process known as matriphagy.
Hunting Style: They are arboreal web-builders that construct tough silk retreats and sticky capture webs in low vegetation or bushes. 
 
Captivity and Care
Setup: They require an arboreal enclosure with plenty of anchor points for webbing.
Environment: Prefer dry, arid conditions with temperatures between 22–28°C and moderate humidity (~50%).
Feeding: Small crickets or roaches are standard; for very small spiderlings, pre-killed prey pieces are often placed directly into their webs.