Multi-tasking mother

[Bruce Williams]

Stockgrove Country Park (Beds).

I was quite moved by this Nursery Web Spider carefully tending her egg-sack while at the same time using a couple of legs to monitor her silk trip-lines.

Watching her brought to mind an old b&w photo of a 1950's mother (hair tied up in knotted scarf) nursing her baby on one arm while doing the ironing with her free hand.

Bruce

[Venger]

Pisaura mirabilis, like Lycosids (wolf spiders) and Salticids (jmuping spiders) are predatory hunters, they don't use webs like an orb spider would.
They do uses webs for protection of the egg sac though - usually attached quite high with a 'tent' of webbing to protect the spiderlings in.

[Bruce Williams]

Thanks for that info Venger - a couple more questions if I may.....

The spider appears to be holding/sensing a strand of silk with one of her legs. Is that just coincidental or is there some purpose to it.

Does she keep her egg sack with her at all times or does she "hide" it away so that she can hunt - ah, is that what you mean about using webs to protect the egg sac?

Bruce

[Venger]

Thinks its just coincidense, I'm not sure if they attach themselves, like Salticids do, with a safety line while they hunt, though it's possible.
She'll carry around the egg sac in her jaws and palps till they are ready to hatch.So she won't eat till after.
She'll attach the egg sac high up on vegitation and create a nursery tent of webbing around then, kind of like a covered creche. She'll then guard them until the reach there first moult, at this point they'll start to leave and spread out.

[Meta menardi]

Interesting, I see your P. Mirabilis is on a nettle. All the photos I have of this spider are with them on nettles! Anyone else got any more to add?

[Newhythebirder]

What a fantastic photo! Thanks for sharing it. Really interesting...

[Bruce Williams]

Thanks for your comments everyone.

Bruce

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

Interesting, I see your P. Mirabilis is on a nettle. All the photos I have of this spider are with them on nettles! Anyone else got any more to add?

All of the best sites I know for these spiders are on nettles. Unfortunately my council tends to cut nettles back so I have to be quick!

Ill try dig out a photo

[Bruce Williams]

Most of my sitings are on nettles too, however I did post one recently on Hogweed:



I should add that the hogweed was growing together with large patch of nettles.

Bruce