I.D help Spiders in the garden

[TRJohns]

I have a gravel based yard and every time I step on the stones hundreds of spiders are disturbed.

90% of them area a couple of cm long and have a white abdomen, with a black head and legs. They are very fast and I cant get a picture of them.

Does anyone have any idea what they are? I am in Somerset.

There was also a bigger spider about 15cm in length that is fat and round, one of the biggest i have seen, any idea what that could be?

[No.9 Spider]

Originally Posted by TRJohns

I have a gravel based yard and every time I step on the stones hundreds of spiders are disturbed.

90% of them area a couple of cm long and have a white abdomen, with a black head and legs. They are very fast and I cant get a picture of them.

Does anyone have any idea what they are? I am in Somerset.

There was also a bigger spider about 15cm in length that is fat and round, one of the biggest i have seen, any idea what that could be?

I'm a bit confused here, as a couple of cm's = 20mm, a bigger one at, I assume 15mm? not 15cm as that is 6 inches (or 150mm).
If it's 15/20mm estimate on that sort of substrate, I'd suggest Lycosidae - Wolf spiders which are often in numbers and can appear white if carrying egg-sacs and are fast!

No.9 Spider

[aeshna5]

Sound like Pardosa sp. wolf spiders to me for the majority.

[Geoff F]

For the bigger more rounded spider, check out Steatoda species. Possibly S. nobilis.

I'm not saying this the answer but it is something which needs to be considered as a starting point.

[John_M]

There are loads of, I think Pardosa, charging around my garden at the moment with egg sacs attached at the back of the abdomen.
20mm seems rather large to me for Pardosa, but that could be a reasonable estimate if the egg sacs are included.
The other spider, at 15mm could be one of many; any markings?

[TRJohns]

Thanks for help folks. It looks like it is the Wolf Spider carrying egg sacs.

Im just surprised with the amount of them, they are everywhere. With all these egg sacs it looks like Ill be having more tenants. I would have thought I would have seen more birds/predators in the garden but nothing.

As for the bigger sp.it wasnt 15cm i dont know why i wrote that. It is about 8-10cm, a lot fatter than Pardosa.

[No.9 Spider]

Originally Posted by TRJohns

Thanks for help folks. It looks like it is the Wolf Spider carrying egg sacs.

Im just surprised with the amount of them, they are everywhere. With all these egg sacs it looks like Ill be having more tenants. I would have thought I would have seen more birds/predators in the garden but nothing.

As for the bigger sp.it wasnt 15cm i dont know why i wrote that. It is about 8-10cm, a lot fatter than Pardosa.

It is about 8-10cm, a lot fatter than Pardosa

I assume we're talking mm? The fatter ones may be gravid, having not yet produced egg sacs or possibly a Trochosa sp though these don't tend to run around so much as the Pardosa sp.

.............and welcome to WAB!

No.9 Spider