European garden spider
The European garden spider, scientifically known as Araneus diadematus, is a common orb-weaving spider found in gardens, woods, and fields across Europe and North America. Recognizable by its characteristic round web and the white cross pattern on its back, this spider plays a vital role in controlling insect populations. It typically grows to a size between 1/2 and 3/4 of an inch (13 to 20 millimeters) and exhibits a coloration ranging from red-orange to dark brown. The spider constructs an intricate web using silken threads, which can span up to 15 1/2 inches (40 centimeters) in width, and is known to consume its web and captured prey at night.
Mating occurs during the warm summer months, with males approaching females at their webs, often facing the risk of being consumed after mating. The female lays eggs in yellowish-gold silk cocoons, and the young spiders, or hatchlings, initially stay with their mother until they are ready to become independent. They disperse from their mother by a method known as ballooning, where they release a silk strand to be carried by the wind. The typical lifespan of the European garden spider is about one year, contributing to its presence and ecological role in various habitats.
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European garden spider
The European garden spider is an orb-web spider. This means it constructs an orb, or round, web. This web is generally connected to plant stems and leaves in gardens, woods, and fields. It is sometimes called the "cross orbweaver" because of its web style and the white cross pattern on its back. The European garden spider is among Europe's most common spiders and is closely related to many of the world's garden spiders.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Araneidae
Genus: Araneus
Species: Diadematus
The European garden spider is a broad-bodied spider that grows to a maximum of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch (13 to 20 millimeters) long. Like other spiders, the European garden spider's body is divided into two main parts—cephalothorax and abdomen. The cephalothorax, or prosoma, includes the head and thorax, or mid-body section. The abdomen, or opisthosoma, is the lower-body section and contains most internal organs. The cephalothorax and the abdomen are connected by a narrow tube called a pedicel. The European garden spider is red-orange to dark brown.
From the lower portion of the cephalothorax extend the eight legs of the European garden spider. It also has a pair of appendages known as palps. These appendages are used for tearing and grasping.
The European garden spider lives in gardens and well-vegetated areas of North America and Europe. These habitats support the spiders' orb, or round webs, and supply ample insect prey.
The spider’s web is constructed in a pattern of lines and circles. First, the spider produces silken thread and stretches it from one point to another, forming a line and then a star- or pinwheel-like pattern. Once these main lines are completed, the European garden spider connects them by moving around the pinwheel in a circular motion, leaving web threads behind as it moves. The completed web is connected to plant parts and may reach 15 1/2 inches (40 centimeters) wide. At night, the spider eats the web and the insects it traps.
The European garden spider mates during the warm months of the summer. The male approaches the female at her web and the two mate by direct fertilization. This means the male's sperm is released directly into the female's body. Once inside the body, the sperm fertilizes the female's eggs. The females sometimes eat the males after mating. After mating with a female, the male European garden spider moves on to find other mates and eventually dies from undernourishment and exhaustion.
After mating, the female European garden spider lays eggs in yellowish-gold, silken cocoons. The young European garden spiders develop within the eggs for a while before emerging as hatchlings. The hatchling young remain with their mother until old enough to survive independently and form their webs. They leave for a new area by ballooning, or releasing a small silk strand that gets caught in the wind. They float through the air and eventually land.
The European garden spider has a life span of about one year.
Bibliography
"Araneus Diadematus." The British Arachnological Society, britishspiders.org.uk/araneus-diadematus. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.
"Garden Spider." The Woodland Trust, www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/spiders-and-harvestmen/garden-spider. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.