This is one of the spiders that come running across the
living-room floor when you are watching Coronation Street...and suddenly
everybody is standing on a chair...boy can they be big...at least for
the UK.
The female of the above can reach a size of 18 mm, with
the male being about 4 mm smaller. It is mainly found in houses and
gardens but also under logs and holes in banks especially in southern
England.
Males and females live together for some weeks after
mating until the male dies, when his remains will be eaten by the female.
The egg sac is spherical and covered with a thin layer of soil or wood-chips
(depends on habitat) or, if these materials are not available, then
with remains of prey etc. This layer is often covered with another layer
of silk, and the whole is placed within the web structure.