© Stuart M Bennett 2001

Tegenaria gigantea
(A House Spider)


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.

 

Tegenaria domestica
(A House Spider)


This is another common spider found around the house and has a yellowish/brown carapace with faint markings on the abdomen similar to Tengenaria gigantea. It is to be found at all times throughout the year. The females are known to be capable of surviving up to four years. The female reaches sizes of about 10 mm with the male about 6 mm. It has a similar pattern to gigantea but a lot fainter.

 

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