What species of spider is this............?

[MTriggle]

Hello

I found this guy on the fence, he is about 40mm in diameter including legs. I've searched the net but cannot find a match. All help appreciated.

[Venger]

Its a Nuctenea umbratica, the walnut orb weaver.

[MTriggle]

Thanks, much appreciated!

[birty1992]

yes it is i also have a similar spider living with me at home, i recently also got it a female, so there is 1 male and 1 female in the tank now, they had a few fights at first but are now happily sitting in the retreat together

happy spider hunting

walnut orb weavers

[Action_Man]

Spiders are not sociable animals, you need to remove one or the other ...

[birty1992]

but spiders will mate at one point, so thats what i am hoping for, i read that after mating the female will kill the mate, so thats what i am intending to happen, the female is definatly more violent and when i put it in the tank it was fanging the straw, which i used to put it in, but they havnt acted violent to each other since i first itroduced them, they are sat on the same branch of a small plant in the tank, quite happily together, i really hope they mate becuase it will most facinating to watch her care for them and watch them hatch

thanks adam

[Action_Man]

Try and get a close-up shot of the palps, and we can see if its mature enough to mate ...

[birty1992]

palp meaning,,, the male i guess?
the female is extremly big in size, i also have sothing to point out somthing

yesterday the female ran on abit of cotton wool i got in there and then it got above the cotton wool and out the bag of its abdomen came one drop of a white thing, i dunno wether its poo or an egg but i never seen a spider do that before.

thanks

[Venger]

Palps, meaning pedipalps, they look like little boxing gloves.
It's how you can tell a male from a female (in spiders obviously)

Example below:

Photo by Action Man.