Saturday 24 December 2011

Christmas spider

A large volume of search keywords hitting BugBlog are about spiders. "Scary spider" in particular features high on the search keyword ranking. I hope the blog helps dispel the myth of spiders as scary bugs. I thought fitting to finish 2011 with a not very scary spider, one that most of the time is hiding outside on the corner of windows, doors and railings in a little silky retreat, and that weaves a fresh web every morning all through the winter. Zygiella x-notata, the Missing sector spider, or window-frame spider, makes characteristic webs with a missing section, though which its signal threat runs (top left hand corner). This one's web glistened on the sun today, with the backdrop of cotoneaster berries that the blackbirds haven't quite finished yet.

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