St Andrew's Cross Spider

Description:

Mating occurs from summer to autumn and can be hazardous for the small male St Andrew's Cross Spiders. One or more males sit in the upper parts of the web - some may be missing legs, survivors of encounters with unreceptive females. The male constructs a mating thread within the web, onto which it 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. Despite this, the egg sacs are often the target of parasitic wasps and flies.