What's the difference?

[Laurie]

What exactly is the difference between tegenaria gigantea and tegenaria domestica? And how can you tell them apart other than a slight difference in size?

 

[JPD]

What exactly is the difference between tegenaria gigantea and tegenaria domestica? And how can you tell them apart other than a slight difference in size?

T.domestica typically have leg banding whereas T.gigantea do not. I believe there are disntinct differences upon examination of the epigynum as well.
Size may or may not be a good indicator.
www.hobospider.org has some good information if you are interested.

 

[NRF]

Tegenaria duellica Simon, 1875 is a junior (60 years) synonym of Tegenaria gigantea Chamberlin & Ivie, 1935, and therefore the former name should be used.

Large adult specimen of T. duellica can be usually easlily be distinguished from T. domestica on size alone, but starved T. duellica can be as small as T. domestica. There are several more similar looking and similar sized species as T. duellica, for example T. agrestis (hobo), T. saeva and T. atrica.

 

[NRF]

And genitalia of both sexes of T. domestica are distinctive and is the best way det. the specimen if it is adult.

 

[Venom]

If you are comparing adult specimens

The difference in size is more than slight. T.domestica top out as sub-2 inchers, whereas T.gigantea are 3-4."

 

[Laurie]

Ahh. Well I had a small female who had banded legs, who I thought was a gigantea, but she only grew to be about one inch. I currently have a male who doesn't have banded legs, but he's already about two inches and growing. He JUST reached maturity ^_^. I thought he was a she untill his last moult where his palps finally showed up.