Forgot about the littlest hobo!

Just a little update here on my blog.
Aside from the massive T.Duellica/Gigantea specimen I photographed/videod (featured in a video at the bottom of this blog), I was just reminded of the Tegenaria agrestis by a US contributor.
This is the smaller cousin of the Gigantea, domestica and other tegenaria species. It IS a UK native. I have always been lead to believe it lives in grass/woodland in Europe. It's a strange one really. No UK bites have ever been recorded from the Agrestis (I also believe that its name is nothing to do with aggressiveness and more to do with grass (a-grass-tis) I suppose.
However, in the US it is known as the Hobo spider. I'll be honest here - I never give these spiders a second thought when I see them here in Doncaster, UK. To me they are very stumpy little Tegenaria spiders and I just bracket them all together as one bunch, catch them in a beaker and let them out.
Although, I understand that the very reason we haven't a problem with the T.Agrestis in the UK is that the T.Duellica/gigantis is so common and kills them off if they enter homes.
What I find staggering is that Canada lists the T.Agrestis as a dangerous spider, yet it lives merrily away in the UK without question. Also, US medical reports show that many cases of necrosis (and fatalities in elderly and youngsters) attributed to the Violin Spider (brown recluse/loxosceles reclusa) are probably more accurately sourced back to the T.Agrestis.
There is, of course, the age-old argument that the US has an evolutionary advanced version of T.Agrestis, which is possible. An introduced spider will up/down the ante with its venom depending on where it is and what it needs as its prey.
Adding to this though, I have found this autumn dismal so far for Tegenaria species. I'm usually snided out with them in my flat, but aside from the massive T.Duellica/Gigantea I have posted on a video somewhere below, I've had a few domestic wanderers, a very small cellar spider and little else in my flat this year!

Remember, you can send photos/videos of your spiders to gavinpow77@btinternet.com for identification. And if I can't identify them, I'll refer to other users who can.

Stay webwise folks.

xx Gav