Wasp spiders?

[Venger]

The stabilimentum (zig-zags) is pretty much in the land of conjecture.
Personally I think it's multi-purpose - for camouflage, for insect attraction or mate attraction, a moulting station, or to warn birds not to fly through the web.
It could be some or all of the above!

[hellsbells]

Hi there,

I'm in Essex and had about 15 or so wasp spiders on my allotment last year, but sadly have only found 1 spider this year, getting quite big as i keep sending grasshoppers/crickets its way.

Unfortunately the area where they were all hanging out last year has been used more frequently as i've let a neighbours 3 children have a patch of ground to grow a few bits in so its been disturbed. Might go on a search tomorrow of the untended plots. Also I find it a bit weird that you can find them quite easily as they seem to make a gap in the grass so look for a gap and bingo.

They are beauties thou.

Helen

[aeshna5]

I caught a big female in my sweep net while surveying on Saturday-hadn't noticed a web. Ironically I had been seeking webs of this species on the site with no success until I caught this girl + she didn't want to hang about for her photo to be taken!

[jordanno]

i would like to see a wasp spider how many years until their common in teleford

[ian_g]

I'm assuming that these aren't native to Britain and have come across on boats and the like?
One question that doesn't seem to have been covered... are they poisonous to humans?
I'm in Hampshire so there's a good chance of me finding one, not that I ever deliberately go on the hunt for spiders!

[Venger]

Originally Posted by ian_g

I'm assuming that these aren't native to Britain and have come across on boats and the like?
One question that doesn't seem to have been covered... are they poisonous to humans?
I'm in Hampshire so there's a good chance of me finding one, not that I ever deliberately go on the hunt for spiders!

You mean venomous, not poisonous

All spiders are venomous, but the question is : Do they bite people?

This keeps cropping up in spider posts.
There are no species of spider in the UK that have a lethal bite (some people may have an allergic response making it seem worse of course)
I'll just use this quote from the Natural History Museum:
No one has ever died of a spider bite in the UK and the number of reported bites from spiders in general is minimal. The Natural History Museum's Insect Information Service (IIS) hears of about 10 cases of spider bites each year in the UK.
...though we have received 10 confirmed bite reports from Steatoda nobilis (false widow spider species) over the last 8 years.'

Most if not all of those bites were self defense bites, yet still the poor old spider seems to be stigmatized with bad press - just give them the same respect that you give to wasp's and bees, even though they are less likely to bite you.

Spiders eat insects and spiders, not people.

[ian_g]

Originally Posted by Venger

You mean venomous, not poisonous

Yeah, that's the one

Well that's okay then, nothing wrong with self defence

[GuyF]

Originally Posted by ian_g

I'm assuming that these aren't native to Britain and have come across on boats and the like?

I'd always assumed that they'd been natural colonisers, maybe spiderlings had got blown across the channel, however I've never known for sure. It would be interesting to find out how they got over here. Does anyone know how they arrived?
Guy

[Paul mabbott]

It is a widespread species across Eurasia so either didn't make it to UK until recently or did but became extinct?

I was looking up the genus to find how many species of Argiope there are - quite a few! Argiope (spider) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia most with distinctive patterns and webs. I'm particularly impressed by the Australian A. aetherea, the Andrew Cross Spider - Image:St Andrews Cross spider.JPG - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[aeshna5]

It was recorded in UK in 1940 on wasteland near Southborne, Hants + within 5 years several others were found nearby.There was a solitary record from Rye in 1922. (Reference:New Naturalist World of Spiders by W S Bristowe).

In last 10-15 years there has been a surge of movement north from the south coast which is a presumed response to climate change. This is essentially a Mediterranean species of origin. They are now widespread in the London area in suitable habitat + have only been recorded here for c5 years.