Funnel Web in garden ??

[DulwichFox]

Anyone know what this is...

It looks like a Funnel Web Spider's web but we don't get them in the UK.

It's about 5x3cm in size and sits between 2 sheds in my back garden..

It has been there for 10 ? years.. survives wind and rain and even the sheds being stained.

It just seems to reappear. !

Googling suggests it may be the work of Labyrinth spiders. ??

Anyone seen one before ??

http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab167/mickdavies83/funnel_web_zps0uzcztdm.jpg

DulwichFox

[phobic3000]

I've seen these before in garages and sheds. I'm an alarm engineer so find myself in peoples workshops or garages occasionally! However I've no idea what spider it is so no help I'm afraid. They do look impressive.

[phobic3000]

Could be a grass spider?

In fact that would make sense because I've seen loads of these in a lawn mower storage unit near West Wickham for a gardening firm.

[El Pibe]

Whack a fly in there and snap who comes for dinner

[grabot]

Probably a tube web spider. Nasty things, we had them in our front yard for a while. I'd nip it in the bud with bug spray...

[KalamityKel]

I'm guessing something big and black... :-s

[Jeremy]

I reckon grass spider is correct...

[DulwichFox]

I have never seen any spiders Big or small. Its a mystery.

Don't want to destroy it.. Looks like it took some 'creature' a lot of work to create.

It's a real work of art.

Foxy

[Saffron]

Check out www.uksafari.com. Labyrinth spider seems likely. Do you know anyone with a fibre optic camera? You could have a peak inside the web to see if anyone's home. Labyrinth spiders are not dangerous, so there's absolutely no reason to kill them. I've seen a couple of webs, but never the spider. I think they're quite shy. Good luck ever a glimpse of her! xx

[KidKruger]

If you go out at night when the weather's warm you may see a spiders front paws (?) near the entrance, they wait there for prey.

I have some old damp course drill holes, on every other brick course, up the end of my outside lounge wall up to about 1.8m - every one has one of these 'webs'.

In warm weather they all have a tenant. If you flick a lighter on you'll send them retreat a bit and their shiny eyes reflect the flame from further back in the tunnel.

[juology]

it looks like something from outer space.

beautiful.

no idea on the spider - perhaps you could send the picture to London Zoo... they'd be able to help.

[JohnL]

Chupacabra ?

[Huggers]

Perhaps East Dulwich's own Bug Man can help ?

[Richard Jones]

Funnel web is probably correct, made by Amaurobius similis or (larger and darker) A. ferox.

Harmless. Not to be confused with dangerous Sydney funnel web, which only occurs a hemisphere away.

Similar tube-retreat-and-tripwire web is made by Segestria florentina, a large, ferocious and painfully-biting spider that also occurs in East Dulwich. Its web is, though, more like the thin radial spokes of an old-fashioned cartwheel, rather than the messy splayed web of Amaurobius.

Always good to have lots of spiders about, helps keep East Dulwich fly-free, don't you think.