My son asked what specific characteristics let you identify a spider as a tarantula. then he described what he thought was a tarantula -except it was shiny like it was wet. (He's been working out of doors in a rural area) I think he was describing a trapdoor spider. I think I have seen one in rural Missouri, too. However, I thought we only had black ones here, and the one he helped get off of a friends arm and back into nature was lighter in color (reddish?) the spider was perhaps between one and two inches in guestimated length.

what sort of mygalomorph names should I be typing into bugguide.net to look for his spider? (and yes, I did ask him to collect one for me if he saw one again- his friend says he sees them all of the time.)

Ctenizoidea, family Ctenizidae are medium-sized mygalomorph spiders. They construct burrows with trapdoor.

A look back in my notes listed some genera encountered in the USA:

Bothriocyrtum
Cyclocosmia
Hebestatis
Ummidia

Hobby imports from Africa:
Stasimopus

Wanted to add that it's unlikely to see these unless you dig them up!

In Missouri, a black shiny mygalomorph will be in the genus Ummidia. The males are frequently encountered. I don't recall if Myrmekiaphila makes it into MO (definitely in AR), but they do tend to be more "reddish". Purseweb spiders (Sphodros) are not uncommon.

Thanks, Rhys and Brent! - Brent, you threw some other potential Genera at me- since I didnt at the time have pen and paper handy to write them down, would you mind spelling them out for me again? I want to type them into bugguide and see if he sees the spider. And of course I told him if he saw one again he had to collect it!

Try Antrodiaetus too.