Spiders
Location: Perthshire Scotland
April 3, 2012 2:38 am
Was wondering is you could identify these pictures taken in an old established oak wood on stinging nettles. Pictues taken in July.
Many thanks.
Signature: D H Todd
Dear D H Todd,
The general shape of your spider and the web she has spun reminded us so much of the North American Nursery Web Spider, Pisaurina mira that we had no trouble identifying your spider as a related Nursery Web Spider, Pisaurina mirabilis, on the UK Safariwebsite. UK Safari lists the habitat as: “Usually found low vegetation especially nettle beds.”
Nursery Web Spiders are among the most maternal spiders and they exhibit very protective behavior regarding their eggs and the newly hatched spiderlings. UK Safari describes the behavior as: “After mating, the female Nursery web spider lays her eggs into a silk cocoon which she carries around in her fangs. Just before the eggs hatch, she spins a silk tent (nursery web) and releases her spiderlings inside it. This tent offers them some protection for the first few days of their life. After their first moult they leave the tent. The female stays close to the tent until all the spiderlings have dispersed.”
