European garden spider
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.jpg/250px-Araneus_diadematus_(aka).jpg) European garden spider in web
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| Araneus diadematus Clerck, 1757 |
The European garden spider (Araneus diadematus, cross spider), also called the Cross spider in Eastern Europe is a very common and well-known orb-weaver spider in Western Europe. Araneus diadematus also lives in parts of North America, in a range extending from New England and the Southeast to the Northwestern United States and adjacent parts of Canada.
Individual spiders' colouring can range from extremely light yellow to very dark grey, but all European garden spiders have mottled markings across the back with five or more large white dots forming a cross. The white dots result from cells that are filled with guanine, which is a byproduct of protein metabolism.[1]
The third pair of legs of a garden spider has been modified by nature to help it spin webs in the form of orbs. The spider also uses them to move sidewards on a web in order to avoid sticking to it. During the attack and while moving on the ground, these legs don't serve a big role though.
Garden spiders have been known to stridulate when threatened.
It is hard to provoke a garden spider to bite - if it does, the bite is slightly unpleasant, though utterly harmless to humans.
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Foelix, R.F. (1992). Biologie der Spinnen. Thieme (German)
[edit] External links
- Extreme close-up showing eyes from Adrian Lozinski's Photography Website
- Araneaus diadematus at Nick's Spiders of Britain and Europe
- European Garden Spider at Hans and Hania's Garden Safari
- European orb weavers at Spiders of NW-Europe
- World Spider Catalog
[edit] Gallery
 European garden spider |
 Picture of a young male European garden spider wrapping up a common flesh fly |
 An underside view of spider while spinning its web. |
 side view of scared, Polish garden spider, in its late summer outfit. |
 Moulted garden spider |
 A garden spider with a wasp |
 Araneus diadematus in the centre of its dew-enshrouded web in Northern Maine. |
 As found in Germany |
 European garden spider wrapping up a wasp |
 Underside view, found in Newfoundland |
 A British Araneus Diadematus |
 Underside, found in California. |
 Hiding in Rhododendron. Found in Oregon. |
