St. Andrews Cross Spider

Description:

St Andrew's Cross Spiders are named for the bluish-white cross-shaped pattern of silk through the centre of the web resembling the St Andrew's cross on the Scottish flag. Females have a silver, yellow, red and black banded upper abdomen with two longitudinal yellow stripes below. The spider sits with the legs in pairs. The males are brown and cream coloured and much smaller. The web is medium-sized orb web, occupied day and night, on low shrubby vegetation. Young spiders are tan or creamy brown in colour and do not make a cross-shaped pattern in their web. Size: Female 10 - 16 mm body length. Male 3 - 4 mm.

Habitat:

Rainforest margins to open forest and heathland, and suburban gardens. Usually seen in low bushes.

Notes:

Food: flies, moths, butterflies, bugs and bees Breeding: Mating occurs in summer-autumn. One or more males sit in the upper parts of the web. The male constructs a mating thread within the web, and attracts a receptive female by vibrating the thread. The female suspends its pear-shaped egg sac in a network of threads, often among leaves where the sac's greenish silk disguises it.