Spider Alert!

I know spiders aren't everyone's favourite creatures and I must admit, I don't care to have the big ones crawling on me, but I am fascinated by them when found in their natural settings!

The pointed ridges on the abdomen of the female Spined Micrathena presumably hurt the mouths of predators, making them an unappealing meal. She is hanging upside down by her legs in the centre of the web. I have been finding these small (maximum length 1 c.m.) spiders on almost a daily basis lately.

As an Orbweaver Spider, the Spined Micrathena web is built in a circle or spiral shape. Orbweavers tend to rebuild their webs every day. The black, brown and white colouration may act as camouflage since this species lives in dense forests where specks of light may be all that reaches the forest floor.  

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Spined-Micrathena-Spider

Spider webs on Teasel.

Spider with a fly prize!

I found two different Fishing spiders this week on some lily pads, each protecting a very large egg sac. (I'm having difficulty getting a positive identification but think they may both be Six-spotted Fishing Spiders. The one above was much lighter in colour than in the lower photo.) Female fishing spiders produce egg sacs filled with their offspring. The eggs are wrapped in silk and carried between her fangs until she finds a good place for them to hatch. She will build a web and attach her egg sac to it, standing guard until the spiderlings emerge.

Six-spotted fishing spider

Fishing Spiders get their name from their hunting behavior. They are adept at ambushing insects and other invertebrates on land, but they can also submerge their bodies under the surface of calm water and hunt for small fish and tadpoles. The bristly hairs on the body trap air bubbles that are used to breathe while underwater. They have been known to stay submerged for more than 30 minutes at a time. They are also able to eat insects skimming or treading on the water's surface.

https://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.php?identification=Fishing-Spider

I hope I am lucky enough to see some of the tiny spiderlings one day!