I was looking for autumn raspberries among the 'Polka' raspberry canes this afternoon and jumped a bit when I came across a rather big female Araneus diadematus. I think she was just as startled as I because she was still for such a long time that I began to think she was dead. She even allowed me some macro photographs without so much as a wriggle. When I gently blew the web to disturb her, make her move, she clambered up and hid out under a raspberry leaf. Unfortunately for her, I turned the leaf and took a few more shots. Now, this might sound like nothing much to you but I suffer from arachnophobia. Not as much as I once did, I'm getting braver, but if she had run from the leaf and up my arm, I think my new Canon EOS 6D could have got smashed in the mayhem as I went screaming around the garden!
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| Female Araneus diadematus - about 1.5cm with legs folded up |
I know that spiders do not have mouthparts like humans (or eyes, for that matter) but this Araneus looks to be sticking a pink tongue out at me. What exactly is that? If I find out, I shall let you know.
Below, she is clearly heavily pregnant and I feel a bit guilty now for disturbing her.
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Female Araneus diadematus on a raspberry leaf
Also known as the 'Cross' spider because of the white cross on its back. |
Just after I'd taken the photographs an unfortunate cranefly landed on the web. It saddened me to see the fly struggling for release but I thought of how good spiders are in my garden, eating so many aphids, and so I left the fly to its fate. I didn't feel so benevolent though when a baby bumblebee landed on the web immediately afterwards but it managed to get away before I felt compelled to interfer. No way could I allow a spider to kill a bee. Not on my watch!
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| Cranefly on Araneus diadematus spider's web |