The species was first identified in 1901 by the South African scientist Mary Agard Pocock and was named Halonoproctus ricketti in honour of Charles Boughey Rickett.

Cyclocosmia ricketti has a very distinctive plate or disk on its abdomen which according to some people resembles an ancient coin, a seal, or a grinding disc.

[6] According to Mr. Zhao Li, Director and Senior Biological Engineer of the Insect Museum of West China in Chengdu, Sichuan, Cyclocosmia ricketti is a nocturnal animal.

[10] Cyclocosmia ricketti, like many other trapdoor spiders, dig burrows which are closed off by hatches in the ground instead of making webs (as they are not good at spinning silk) to catch their prey.

[6] When a small insect would step on its disk (sometimes referred to as a "copper coin"), Cyclocosmia ricketti will then purportedly shrink its abdomen to allow its prey to fall further into its burrow to be devoured.

[6] Cyclocosmia ricketti can also use the coin-shaped disk on its abdomen to protect itself from enemies by blocking the entrance to its burrow with it, and using it as a shield, a phenomenon called phragmosis.

[13][14] The farthest north they are known to have been found is Sichuan, where in 2016, according to the South China Morning Post, a farmer was working in his garden in Pujiang County, Sichuan province when he thought he found a valuable ancient seal, but then when he saw it move realised it was actually an arachnid, this is notable as it was previously believed that Cyclocosmia ricketti were not able to survive in places where the temperature could drop below 13 degrees Celsius.