Spider Identification

[BigSte]

Whilst I am sure this is one of your common or garden Araneus diadematus type garden fellows. I was startled at the vast numbers of these guys that seem to be taking over the estate where I live in the middle of Cheshire.
Not only in my garden but they're all over the place. I counted a dozen in about a minute earlier on in my back yard.
They're about inch and a bit long at most, stripy legs and a big bulbous body. They have a web the size of a saucer that is anchored by just a few very long threads, maybe 2-3 feet long.

Here's the best of a load of blurred pictures I took this afternoon.



Is it just an arachnid invasion of middle England, or something more sinister ?

[aeshna5]

Yes- the're Araneus diadematus, ubiquitous at moment + probably the spider most often seen by the public as the females sit so conspicuously in hub of their orb webs. Some of the webs in my back garden are full of Hemp Agrimony seeds that have blown there from my pond margin. Couple of others have Crane Fly wings in them.

[BigSte]

Well, that's a relief. I thought maybe I'd stumbled on to something terrifyingly African, but if they're eating up all those pesky Daddy Long Legses then they're welcome to stay in my garden.

[colinaj]

Not an invasion but webs more conspicuous as the spiders are less likeley to be eaten by birds feeding youngsters. at this time of the year.