All the spiders in the family Araneidae make orb webs which are large in comparison to their body size (see below). The araneids are distinguished by their rather short, stout legs which are very spiny in most of the genera.

I have termed this the garden spider though there are a lot more than the one pictured above. Also the picture above of this species can be confusing as it's colour can range from black to ginger. The web which it spins can reach a diameter of 40 cm and is found at heights of 1.5 - 2.5 metres in height.

The female reaches a size of 12 mm with the male a poor second at 8 mm.

Back to main Spider page