Our two year-old granddaughter's favourite spider

Our two year-old grand daughter was fascinated by this magnificent house spider Tegenaria domestica that's living it its web in a corner of  a window in our house.

It's not often that you get this unusual underside view of the body, revealing the prey's-eye view of the jaws, and all the leg joints. Usually you just see them dashing across the floor late in the evening, or trapped in the bath when they search for a drink from a dripping tap.

Though large, they are harmless and do a very good job of catching those annoying flies that find their way into the house in autumn. These spiders in turn are preyed upon by cellar spiders (daddy-long-legs spiders) and, since there are two of these living behind the settee, this house spider's days may be numbered.