Garden cross spider

When: June to November

Scientific name: Araneus diadematus

Gaelic name: Damhan allaidh

Size: Body length around 9mm (males) to 15mm (females)

Where: You can see the webs in most gardens and hedgerows throughout summer and autumn

Sitting regally in it's carefully woven web, the Garden cross spider resides in many gardens and parks around the Forth. Take an early morning stroll in autumn and you are bound to see thousands of dew drops, glistening from strands of silk that cover the foliage.

Although it is a common sighting, this spider has very distictive markings and often greatly varied colourations between indiviuals. Ranging from pale golden brown, through to almost black, these spiders can be identified by the clear white speckled pattern on their abdomen, usually forming a kind of cross shape, hence the common name. You may be forgiven for thinking that these wee spiders are quite sedentary beings; in fact, they are night-spinners, meaning that they work through the night, preparing their webs for the next day of hunting. If disturbed, the spiders will also oscillate wildly in their web and even drop down on a thread, lying still to avoid being caught by a predator.

Females swell over the summer as they lay their eggs in silk woven sacs, spending the rest of their lives sat protecting the eggs. The females usually die in late autumn, with the spiderlings hatching out the following spring. Thousands of hatchlings will live as a unit initially, grouping together in a mass of tiny yellow dots. After the first moult, the spider siblings will part ways and live as individuals, reaching adult maturity after two years.

Spiders are of particular relevance in Scotland, thanks to the tale of Rober the Bruce's encounter with such an arachnid in a cave in the early 1300s. It is said that while watching the spider's repeated attempts to build a web, Robert was inspired to persevere against King Edward I's attack on Scotland, and Robert himself. Some believe that this experience was what lead Robert the Bruce to victory in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn, gaining independence for Scotland and re-establishing Robert as King of the Scots until his death in 1329. So, the next time you see a spider working away at its web, be sure to pause and admire its craftsmanship, as it may inspire you too!

More spider related trivia can be found at: https://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs-and-habitats/garden-cross-spider

Image: Frode Inge Helland, Wikimedia