European Garden Spider
Araneus diadematus
Least ConcernFast Facts
About
The European garden spider, or cross spider, is one of the most familiar orb-weavers, named for the distinctive cross-shaped pattern of white marks on its rounded abdomen. It spins large, beautifully symmetrical wheel-shaped webs in gardens, hedgerows and woodland edges.
Its colour varies from pale yellow to deep brown, but the pale cross on its back is a constant identifying feature.
Behaviour
The garden spider rebuilds its orb web almost daily, often consuming the old silk to recycle it. It typically waits head-down at the hub or in a nearby retreat, alert to the vibrations of trapped prey through a signal thread.
Once an insect strikes the web, the spider rushes out to wrap it swiftly in silk before delivering a paralysing bite.
Did you know?
- The spider often eats its own web each day to recycle the valuable silk
- It detects trapped prey through vibrations carried along a signal thread
- The orb web is one of the most geometrically precise structures in nature
- Females are far larger than males, who approach warily to mate
Distribution
Across Europe and parts of North America
