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Giant House Spiders - Tegenaria
duellica/gigantea |
The Giant house spider (Tegenaria duellica; formerly
known as T. gigantea) is a member of the genus Tegenaria
and is a close relative of both the Domestic house spider and
the infamous Hobo spider. The bite of this species does not pose
a threat to humans or pets.
Like most spiders, the spider possesses quite
a potent venom to subdue its prey; but it is not
known to bite humans. Females can reach 18 mm in
length, with males having a slightly smaller
body at around 12 mm to 15 mm in length. The
female leg span is typically around 45 mm. The
leg span of the male is highly variable, with
spans between 25 mm to 75 mm being common. The
Giant house spider has the same colouration as
the Domestic house spider; it has earthy tones
of brown and muddy red or yellow. They also have
conspicuously hairy legs and abdomen. The Giant
house spider is indigenous to north western
Europe. It was however unwittingly introduced to
the Pacific Northwest of North America around
1900 due to human activity and strongly
increased in numbers for the last decade. The
webs built by the Giant house spider are flat
and messy with a funnel at one end. The spider
lurks in the funnel until a small invertebrate
happens to get trapped in the web, at which
point the spider runs out and attacks it. They
usually build their webs in corners (on both the
floor and ceiling), between boxes in basements,
attics, or any other area that is rarely
disturbed by large animals, or humans. Males can
often be seen wandering around during the late
summer and early autumn looking for a mate. A
population of Giant house spiders is popularly
thought to be a deterrent to the establishment
of Tegenaria agrestis, known in North
America as the hobo spider, and considered by
some to be more likely to bite humans. Giant
house spiders may compete with hobo spiders for
the same resources. Hobo spiders grow no more
than a body size of 15 millimetres (0.59 in)
long as where the larger female giant house
spider can have a body size of 18 millimetres
(0.71 in), but has proportionately much longer
legs.
(Info. Wikipedia) |
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Reply: It looks like a giant house spider - glen
20 January, 2012:
Hi there,
I caught this mean looking mother in my garage at home (UK) and was quite shocked by it!
There are 3 photoes there that should zoom in OK, the 3rd one is poor as it is shown through a blue bit of plastic, but you can see the profile of it. The other 2 show clearly the abdomen and yellow colouring.
Kind Regards,
Adam
Click for a larger view |
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Reply: It looks like one of the tegeneria
species so may be a giant house spider
but hard to tell from the photo, could also be a hobo so be
careful - glen
9 October, 2011:
Hey Glen,
Just found your site via google - my roomates and I in germany just
found this guy on our wall and it freaked us out. Attached are a couple
hi-res photos i took of it - is it dangerous at all?
I also saw a clear-see through baby spider on my sandal this morning,
could it be related or a baby of this?
Very freaked out at the moment so your help will definitely be appreciated!
Thank you,
Jonathan
Click for a larger view |
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Reply: It looks more like a giant house spider
to me but I could be wrong - glen
28 April 2011:
Found this in Horsham, West Sussex, UK. It looks like an Agrestis and scared the wife some!
Am I right?
Click for a larger view |
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Reply: It is probably a giant house spider - glen
28 February, 2011:
Hello!
Somebody can explain me witch kind type of spiders is this?
I find it inside in a Mushrooms in Italy, Claudio |
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Reply: Hi Barb, You don't say where
you are from but going from the pics, this looks like some sort of
tegenaria species which includes the hobo spiders. I'd say
this is a giant house spider (tegenaria duellica) from its size and
colouring - glen
15 October, 2010:
Hi Glen;
I hope you are able to access the photos now. Let me know please....and thanks again!
Barb
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Reply: It is probably a giant house spider - glen
10 October, 2010:
Hi,
Great site.
this little critter was crawling around today. We have lots of spiders
here. I assume they are mostly house spiders. This one was 2.5 inches,
not the biggest one around here i thought i would take a closer look.
I'm from england if that helps.
Thanks
Abdul |
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Reply: This
is one of the tegenaria family, possibly tegenaria duellica, the
giant house spider - glen
3 September, 2010:
Hi, I live in north east England. We don't really have any dangerous spiders but I found this chap in my sink on Sunday morning (5th Sept). His body is about 1.5cm long and he's not a happy chappy in his screw-top jamjar, where he'll be staying until I find out what he is
Thanks
Ros |
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Reply: No it is not a garden orb weaver, this
is one of the tegenaria family, possibly tegenaria duellica, the
giant house spider. However be careful as it could also be a
hobo spider. It is a male - glen
3 September, 2010:
Hi
My friend found this in her living room and thinks it is a garden ord weaver. we are in scotland. would you be able to say what it is.
thanks |
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Reply: I think you are correct - glen
23 August, 2010:
Hi Glen
When doing a bit of research this morning I found your site,
spiderzrule.com and thought I'd send you a picture for your collection.
I came across the subject of the picture this morning when lying in bed.
It was on the wall about 2 feet above my head and just quietly walking
by when my 12 year old daughter entered the room and spotted it
immediately (and just about had a seizure). I guess it's not quite as
big as some of the others listed but it's about as big as any I've seen
in the wild in the UK (I live just outside Glasgow in Scotland). From
its characteristics I'm guessing a giant house spider? Feel free to use
the pic on your site if you wish.
Cheers
Colin |
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14 August, 2010:
Hi, my name is Jerry, I live in Salem, Oregon.. I really appreciate your site! I found a large spider at my work today. I see these spiders all the time. I think they are Giant House Spiders, but I can't find any definitive information that clearly distinguishes the Tegenaria duellica from the Tegenaria agrestis. What are your thoughts? Thanks. |
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5 July, 2010:
hi,
its Autumn again i just got some pictures
of another unknown spider my grandpa
gave me when he got home from his shop.
I hope u can tell me what it is, thanks!
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Reply: I think this one is a giant house spider - glen
17 June, 2010:
Hi, Glen.
I've taken pictures of some of the spiders that I find around my house and I can't identify them. Can you help me out?
Thanks. |
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Reply: I think it is a giant house spider - glen
23 May, 2010:
Since I found this in my basement and I am a bit afraid of spiders can you please tell me do you think there could be more of them and if so is this particular one dangerous? By the way I love your website.
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Reply: This could be tegenaria gigantea - the giant
house spider.
1 March, 2010:
Hi Glen,
While in Canada (Nova Scotia) I took these spider pictures. I was hoping that you might be able to help me identify them.
The last three I think are some sort of sheet spider. 8358 and 8362 are of the same spider. It is the spider that is under the one sitting in the web in 8355. Thought they all could be the same species and some sort of common Canadian house spider. What do you think?
Thanks,
Tracy |
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Reply: This could be tegenaria gigantea - the giant
house spider.
1 August, 2009:
Hi, I found your site, spiderzrule, after we captured a spider
in our kitchen. My wife and I have no idea what it is, she
thinks it's a Hobo Spider, but I think it's probably a garden
spider/funneling spider after viewing some of the pics on your
site. We just wanted to be sure! I haven't been able to find a
spider with the types of markings that this one has, and I have
NEVER seen one this big in all the years I've lived up here! We
live in Vancouver, Washington, USA if that helps. Also, the
glass it is under is pint glass for size relation. Thanks for
taking a look! And feel free to use this pic however you wish! -
Tom |
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Reply: The pattern on the abdomen is more like that of
tegenaria gigantea than a wolf spider.
9 June, 2009:
He's a BIG ONE!!! that is a wolf spider? He didn't run
from me but at me! Thanks |
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2 December, 2007:
Hey Glen -
Here are a few spider pics from recently caught critters. The last three images are of a small example of the spiders we
routinely catch and release; have seen these guys with a body
the size of a large wasp and leg spans reaching 2.5" to 3",
pretty sure its a wolf spider of some sort...but it does have a
set of 'spinners' or some such on its butt, so maybe a grass
spider variation?? I only recently got a decent digital cam; and finally started
playing with the macro mode, so have been clicking as I catch.
All of these are crops of the originals to clip away wasted
surround; so quality may be slightly reduced as a result, if the
original ~4mb file would help with the ID, I still have it
kicking around the drive here somewhere... Catch ya Later, Mac.
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Reply: As you are in
Abbotsford, BC, Canada, it is not
likely to be a hobo spider but could be tegenaria gigantea, the
giant house spider which is in the same species.
Click for a larger view. |
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Reply: You have 2 funnel
weavers, that's the stripey ones and the other with the big
"bum", looks like tegenaria gigantea - the giant house
spider, a relation of the hobo spiders which actually kills
hobos if you have them in your area
1 October, 2007:
I caught all
these in a cup after finding them on some boards in my backyard.
I live in Utah, USA. The one on the top and bottom look similar
but the one of the right had a HUGE "bum". Thanks! Dustin
Click for a larger view. |
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Reply:
It looks like a species of Tegenaria to which the hobo spiders
belong. But not sure if it is Tegenaria
agrestis or
maybe Tegenaria
gigantea.
8 September, 2007:
I recently found your site. I dig the content due to my strong
curiosity for all things eight legged.
I took these photos about a year ago, and have been passed one
answer or another
the whole time as to the species of the spider. After browsing
your
site
I am led to believe that the two spiders photographed are a type
of
common
house/grass spider, but I want to be for sure. If you could take
a
gander and try your hand at I.D.ing the spiders (Which appear to
be a
male/female of the same species) I would be grateful!
Again, awesome site and keep up the good work! Spiders are
misunderstood!-Jeff
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Another observation:
Hi, Just wanted to chime in on your
posting in your Hobo Spider section of a specimen dated 30 July,
2007 and identified as Tegenaria Domestica. The size is
about right, but the coloration isn't. It seems to me that he's
a little too yellow for Domestica, but not for
Agrestis or Gigantea. I could be wrong, but I think
this is a small Agrestis. The legs are absent of the
black bands that are a singular feature with Domestica.
That's my main reason for questioning the ID. Lower down, you
have a picture dated 3 February 2006 which is a good example of
Domestica. The bands can be seen clearly (though upstate
NY seems quite a ways from home for Tegenaria. Stowaway
perhaps?). Anyway, just an observation which I thought might be
useful. I'm but an armchair expert. Love the site. Refer to it
all the time, just because I love to look at spiders. My
youthful fear of spiders has grown to respect, and finally
to love. Fascinating creatures. Jake in Portland Oregon
More:
Upon further investigation I have
narrowed it to a male Tegenaria domestica. Thanks for the
help in narrowing it down. Keep up the good work. Josh
30 July, 2007:
Hi,
I am a university student in Victoria, BC, Canada. I was
working in
a forest in the area when I found this little spider. It
was about the
size of a quarter to my best guess. I think it may be a
type of wolf
spider but the markings kind of threw me off a bit. It
certainly has 8 eyes though. Beautiful whatever it is. Thanks
for any help! Josh
Victoria, BC
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19 November,
2006:
hi there....
I came upon your site after doing a search on house
spiders.......
I live in Scotland and found this beauty in my house....
(I'm assuming it's
Tegenaria gigantea and not a hobo )
well at least i hope it was because i picked it up
gorgeous
looking spider anyway...
thought maybe you'd like to use the shots on your site (I'm
a keen macro photographer)
Click for a larger view. |
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and to give it a sense of scale here's a shot of it next to my
index finger |
and a shot of its spinnerettes
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13 July, 2006:
Hello, I'm adrian from Scotland, found your site after checking
Tegenaria agrestis on google. The picture i include is a
massive spider who walked under a stone i was bashing off the
ground and it died, err anyway hope you can use the picture,
fantastic site comrade! Adrian |
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31 January,
2006:
Hi Glen, My name is Aimee and
I am from Portland Oregon. I was wondering if you knew what kind of
spiders these are. I found the one in the cup in a piece of wood in
my garage. I found the one in the dirt in the actual wood shed so I
am guessing that they are both wood spiders. If you have any idea
what kind these are then please let me know by E-mailing me back. I
have checked your spider site to see if they were there but I
couldn't find them. thanks, Aimee |
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Reply:
Looks like a
House Spider
- Tegenaria gigantea.
27 June, 2005:
hi, i found this spider in the garden shed in the UK
could you please take a look and identify it for me please.
thanks..... |
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