Seems these days the eight-legged amongst us come looking for me, rather than the other way around. Spiders can't log on to arachipedia, .... can they?.....
No sooner had I snapped the long-jawed orb-weaver and uploaded it, I had barely packed away my camera before I made a quick visit to the loo, and in a very grimy and dusty corner of my shower area two spiders were dueling.
I rushed to grab my cam, thinking this was some mating ritual between one species. However, it was, in fact, one very fat, fearsome-looking female mouse spider [Herpyllus Blackwalli] encroaching onto the territory of a smaller (male I think) tegenaria spider.
I actually think it's a juvenile Gigantia or Duellica. I can't quite see its markings properly, but can't be sure what else it would be in the house at this time of year. I don't think it's an agrestis (markings are probably wrong). At least I hope it isn't an agrestis anyway. [Hobo spider in the states].
I knew the mouse spider was in the bathroom. I'd seen her a few times before and even warned my mum she was in there just a week ago!
I don't honestly know which would win in a fight, but the mouse spider ran away first. Nor do I know which is the most venomous (to each other), but I presume it must have been the mouse spider that was trespassing, as (to my knowledge) tegenaria spiders are funnel web spiders and mouse spiders generally don't build a web.
I love spiders, but that pair (considering they are both biting species) might have to go, if I can find them, or if they manage to eat each other - whichever is the sooner!
Stay webwise folks!
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