Giant House Spider

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 A houseguest that is common at this time of the year as the males seek out females is the giant house spider. These animals are our fastest moving invertebrate and can move 0.5m per sec.


The spider spins sheet - like cobwebs and likes dark corners of the house. The males stay with their chosen females for several weeks, mating numerous times - after which the male is eaten by the female. The animals are more active at night than they are in the day, and can  survive for several months without either eating or drinking. Females are the  larger sex and can reach 18mm long.
This diagram of different types of spider web is copied from the Field Studies Council guide sheet,


 



Diary
Some light rain overnight - not enough to get the stream running again. Overnight camera's revealed one fox and the usual superabundance of rabbits.



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