Tegenaria with rather large cricket!

[Tegenaria]

She doesnt seem fazed by the fact that the crik is a lot bigger than her!

And by the way, that large dark mass above her is yet another phantom egg sac!
Thing is she hasnt molted yet, she must be fit to pop by now!

[Gigas]

Producing sacs its definately mature, I don't think they moult after they have matured?

[Tegenaria]

Well, if thats the case how do people find them with 4-5" legspans?
Hmmm.

[Gigas]

You have a domestica and not a duellica?
And i have said "I think" this may not be 100% but i have never had a mature female moult and i kept one for over a year before she died

[Tegenaria]

You have a domestica and not a duellica?
And i have said "I think" this may not be 100% but i have never had a mature female moult and i kept one for over a year before she died

Well, unfortunately the only way I can answer that is by looking at the palps, and as this is a female, that option is out!
I will say tho, the last Teg I had I managed to correctly identify was duellica-the 2 species have distincive apophyses on each's emboli.

See the sharp recurved point in this pic, thats distinctive of duellica.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=1208

It seems odd that I would have both domestica and duellica on the premises.(I found that earlier duellica in the shed tho, and my current Teg was found in the house)

[Gigas]

I get domestica in my house and the walls on the outside walls and duellica in my garage, duelica deffinately preffer the more "cave like" habitats, in the wild I have only found one once in a rock outcrop.

[Tegenaria]

Do you notice much difference in them, you know, do you find they're easily disernible? I need to find the two together I think- I never expected there to be 2 species of Teg in one spot tho!

[Gigas]

I normally go on the abdominal marking,s tegenaria have a larger brighter more flecked pattern and domestica have a smaller more humble one, I know , how acurate. But as you say I have never found a gigantea in my houseor a domestica not in one.

[Tegenaria]

I wouldn't mind a booklet on these as my spider book, tho excellent, only shows pics of one Tegenaria species with line drawings of the palps/epigynes.

[buthus]

Cant wait to get some! I'd definately search out the three common species and keep them in a sectional enclosure to observe their pysical differences, but also behavioral and webbing differences.
I think Id let one settle in my room... if it will. It would have to be a non-gravid though ...dont need these here ...they will get here eventually, but no sense speeding that process up.