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House spider (Tegenaria gigantea)

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(NB: Tegenaria gigantea is also referred to, in some recent sources, as T. duellica ). It is one of the most frequently encountered �large house spiders� in Britain. Their large size, long legs and habit of stopping in the middle of floors as they dash across, make them one of the most feared spiders but they are harmless. The live in houses, garages and garden sheds and outside in more natural habitats e.g. earth banks, rock crevices and tree holes. T. gigantea is mainly found in the East and Midlands of England, with a closely related spider T. saeva occupying the west of England and Wales. Female spiders mature to a body size of between 11 and 16 mm, and males from 10 to 14 mm. They have a dark brown cephalothorax with pale brown lateral and central bands. The abdomen is generally dark but with a lighter central stripe and oblique lateral bands, forming a series of chevrons. The legs are dark brown. In mature males the legs are about 1.5 times longer than those of females of the same body length. They spin large flat sheet webs (cobwebs) of non-sticky silk, with a tubular retreat in one corner. They take two years to reach maturity. The spider eggs hatch in late spring and the spiders grow to about half-size by the following winter, growth then stops as food supplies diminish until the next spring. The males mature the next July or August and the females in September or October, when the males going in search of females becomes more visible. A male spider will guard the female until she undergoes her final moult. Mating then takes place on the female�s web. Afterwards the male continues to co-habit with the female, mating repeatedly, until he dies. The female overwinters and the next spring produces a succession of egg sacs, which each contain between 40 to 60 eggs. Picture taken in Bedford on the 3rd August 2011.

Added:
4th Aug 2011 by Diane Earl

Subjects:
Biology, Science

Key Stages:
Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 4+

Geocode: Bedford

Keywords:
spider arachnid nature biology creature web spin

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