During a bout of domestic activity this afternoon (the dreaded dusting and vacuuming) I came across a huge spider which had fallen into a container containing cd's.
House Spider (Tegenaria spp)
It was huge - its body length being about 14mm so I suspect it may be Tegenaria gigantea (sometimes known as T. duellica)- though I much prefer the former scientific name! Sorry for lack of italics - even with new blogger I seem unable to get bold, italics or links to work.
This species is often seen running across floors or found in the bath at this time of the year when males go searching for a mate. Once the male finds a female close to maturing he will guard her until she undergoes her final moult and then mate with her several times. This species takes up to 2 years to reach maturity.
I've released it now - into the garage. Unfortunately some of my family do not share my interest in spiders!! In fact we have several arachnophobes - who will remain nameless :)
