This article may lack focus or may be about more than one topic. In particular, the species has now been split into three again, so separate articles are needed.(April 2020) |
Giant house spider | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Agelenidae |
Genus: | Eratigena |
Species: | E. atrica
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Binomial name | |
Eratigena atrica (C. L. Koch, 1843)[1]
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Synonyms[1] | |
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The giant house spider has been treated as either one species, under the name Eratigena atrica, or as three species, E. atrica, E. duellica and E. saeva. As of April 2020[update], the three species view was accepted by the World Spider Catalog. They are among the largest spiders of Central and Northern Europe. They were previously placed in the genus Tegenaria. In 2013, they were moved to the new genus Eratigena as the single species Eratigena atrica.[2] In 2018, the three separate species were restored.[3] The bite of these species does not pose a threat to humans or pets, and they are generally reluctant to bite, preferring instead to hide or escape.