Spider i.d. please

nikolai_avenger · #1 (**permalink**) 13-10-2009, 09:22 PM

Hello...

Looking for an i.d. on this spider, photo taken in early September near Melbourne, Derbys.

Would I be right thinking Steatoda species?

Many thanks in advance. Nik.

No.9 Spider · #2 (**permalink**) 13-10-2009, 10:04 PM

Looks more like Zygiella x-notata to me, though photo not too clear.

No.9 Spider

Venger · #3 (**permalink**) 13-10-2009, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No.9 Spider

Looks more like Zygiella x-notata to me, though photo not too clear.

No.9 Spider

I agree

nikolai_avenger · #4 (**permalink**) 14-10-2009, 08:32 AM

Magic...! Thanks, both of you, for your swift replies. Apologies for the picture quality, my camera doesn't really do small things very well.

Having now researched a little further, the shape / construction of Zygiella x-notata's web would seem to correspond with the one I saw, complete with hidey-hole and signalling strand.

Would you happen to know if Zygiella x-notata is parsitised by anything? I did witness another nearby Z-x-n receiving a visit from what I think was probably an Ichneumon of some kind, which seemed immune to the stickiness of the web and actively sought out the spider in its retreat. The spider managed to avoid any great peril and the Ichneumon moved on, however I am eager to find out anything I can about this. I do have video footage of the sequence, not sure if it can be posted here...?

Any information gratefully received.

Best regards, Nik.

No.9 Spider · #5 (**permalink**) 14-10-2009, 10:02 AM

I'm not too well up on spider wasps, though I'd expect that any species of spider could be a potential target. I know that there are, in other climes, numerous species of wasps, that are species specific in that they only prey on a particular species of spider. Whether the same applies here I don't know.

No.9 Spider