David Element

Wildlife Photography

and Digital Video Images

__________________________ Spiders 1

                                          WASP SPIDER Argiope bruennichi (f)

                                         CROSS SPIDER Araneus diadematus (f)

                                         AGELENID SPIDER Agelena labrynthica (f)

• The rather uncharacteristic ‘right way up’ view of the Wasp Spider shows the arrangement of the simple eyes and chelicerae (these house the fangs) quite nicely.  This species may be found in the UK, although this individual was photographed in southern France. The prey captured by the Cross Spider may be readily identified as a Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris as the facial markings may be seen clearly through the strands of the web.  Both of the above are orb-spinning spiders and the latter is abundant everywhere, becoming very obvious in many gardens in late summer. Agelena labrynthica belongs to the Family Agelenidae. This spider normally weaves a sheet-like web in low vegetation. Females lay in wait in a tube-like tunnel (labrynth) into which any prey items are dragged once they have been repeatedly bitten and disabled.

• The illustrations on these pages merely touch the surface so far as spiders are concerned. The links shown below will give a much greater depth and breadth of coverage of these fascinating creatures. The programme dedicated to spiders in Sir David Attenborough’s wonderful ‘Life in the Undergrowth’ series (BBC) proved to be absolutely compulsive viewing.

RECOMMENDED READING:

• "THE COUNTRY LIFE GUIDE TO SPIDERS OF BRITAIN AND NORTHERN EUROPE", DICK JONES, COUNTRY LIFE BOOKS, 1983. ISBN 0 600 35665 5 (SOFTBACK); ISBN 0 600 35614 0 (CASED)

• "BRITISH WILDLIFE", BRITISH WILDLIFE PUBLISHING, ISSN 0958-0956 CONTAINS REGULAR SPIDER REPORTS

RECOMMENDED WEBSITES:

• THE ARACHNOLOGY HOME PAGE: http://www.arachnology.be/Arachnology.html provides a comprehensive overview of on-line reference material for spiders - This is a very useful link.

• The website of the Dutch photographer Ed Nieuwenhuys is highly recommended: http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/spidhome.htm

• 'THROUGH THE SPIDER'S WEB', an international photographic gallery of spider photographs collated by Dragiša Savic may be found at: http://www.naturefg.com/spiders/spider.htm. This site is also highly recommended.

-> Spiders 2

-> Spiders 3

-> Spiders 4

-> Index, Common Names

-> Index, Scientific Names

-> Site Index

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© David Element.