As the days rapidly shorten and we head full speed into Autumn there is one species which can not fail to catch the eye. The Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) is the best known orb-weaving arachnid in the UK.
Who can fail to notice the beautiful silk creations hanging amidst the ivy and bushes. Even if you dislike spiders you surely can not fail to appreciate the webs produced by the Garden spider.
The female in the above picture has made a very large web between the shed and ivy in our back garden. Earlier in the summer the boys and I were playing outside and happened across an egg sac in the foliage - subsequently the silk bundle erupted to reveal hundreds of tiny Garden spiders. Unfortunately we had a data disaster with the laptop and i lost some very nice photos of the tiny creatures. The garden is now home to some of the survivors of this silken exodus and i would estimate about twenty to forty webs have been spun.
The spiderlings grow rapidly and, as is the case with all spider species, the female is considerably larger than the male. They hatch around May-June and spend the rest of summer feeding on plenty of flying insects in an attempt to reach breeding size as swiftly as possible.
Mature males approach the females cautiously and tug on the web in an effort to show they should not be mistaken as prey. If cards are played correctly a successful mating will follow and the suitors will live to fight another day. Hapless males will end up being eaten or chased away.
The female lays her eggs at the end of summer or early autumn. She builds an egg sac and, once the eggs are deposited within, proceeds to stop eating and guard them with her life until she dies in late autumn.
The egg sac will endure the cold until the spiderlings hatch in late spring the following year. Young adult males and females will hibernate under leaves and bark when the cold really sets in.
Whenever i think of summer drawing to a close i think of these creatures. They emerge when the skies are blue and the air full of birds and insects. Even as the leaves begin to change from green to orange - falling like fire from their aerial haunts- it is still possible to step outside first thing in the morning and see the beautiful, dew-covered orbs. Then one day, when summer really has closed the chapter for another year, they are gone.
To me they are the guardian sitting in front of autumn's door - they remind us that the next season will still hold much beauty, even if the days will grow dark and the temperatures drop. Their webs may only stick within the plush flora for a matter of months but they endure in the mind much longer.
