Garden Spider
Araneus diadematus
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The white cross on its back gives it away — and it rebuilds its whole web most mornings.
A plump orb-weaving spider, variable from pale straw to deep chocolate-brown, marked with a distinct cross of white dots on the abdomen. Garden spiders are abundant in gardens, hedgerows and woodland edge around Dumfries, and become conspicuous in late summer when the females reach full size and their webs appear across every gap and gateway.
Behaviour
It builds a classic wheel-shaped orb web, often eating and rebuilding it daily to keep the silk sticky and clear of debris. The spider usually sits head-down at the hub, or hides nearby holding a signal thread that telegraphs a strike. Courtship is cautious — the much smaller male taps out a signal on the edge of the web before approaching. Females die after laying a silk-wrapped egg sac in autumn.
When to see it
Quick facts
- Family
- Orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae)
- Size
- Females 10–13 mm, males 4–8 mm
- Status
- Native; abundant and widespread
Photo by Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons