Giant house spider
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| Tegenaria duellica Simon, 1875 |
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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.
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[edit] Appearance
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 coloration as the Domestic house spider; Earthy tones of brown and muddy red or yellow. They also have conspicuously hairy legs and abdomen.
[edit] Habitat
The Giant house spider is indigenous to north western Europe and the pacific northwest of North America.
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.
Males can often be seen wandering around during the late summer and early autumn looking for a mate.
[edit] Relationship with the Hobo spider
An established population of Giant house spiders is generally considered to be a deterrent to the establishment of a Hobo spider population. Giant house spiders compete with Hobo spiders for the same resources and won't hesitate to make a meal of one.
[edit] Trivia
Up until 1987, the Giant house spider held the record as the fastest spider in the world. The record has since been awarded to a species of African Sun Spiders, which aren't actually spiders at all.
[edit] Taxonomy
This species was referred to as Tegenaria gigantea up until 1995, which is when it was first realized that this name was a synonym of T. duellica (published in 1875), making the latter the oldest available name. Other authors suggested that T. gigantea was a synonym of T.saeva, but molecular evidence indicates that these are distinct taxa, not synonyms[1].
[edit] References
- ^ P. J. P. Croucher, G. S. Oxford, J. B. Searle (2004) Mitochondrial differentiation, introgression and phylogeny of species in the Tegenaria atrica group (Araneae: Agelenidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 81: 79–89. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2004.00280.x
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