Spider Mother - Tube Web Spider

[ladylouise62]

This spider was guarding an egg sack (see second photo). I turned over a large pot and found her inside, surrounded by her webbing.

Of course I wanted to use the pot.. so I did the soft thing and turned it back over again. I'll just have to find something else to put my plants in.
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I just found info on the Tube Web Spider, and think that that is what this is. Per The Natural History Museum, :
Body size =Female to 22 mm; male to 15 mm.
Originally a native of southern Europe as far east as Georgia. Known as a 'tube-web', it occupies a hole or crevice and has trip-lines radiating out. First recorded in the UK 1845. Colonies remained local (usually close to southern ports) until the 1990's when a considerable expansion began."

[Chocky]

ugh.
Nice captures. Well done

I tweeked what I thiught was a dead flower head in a web and millien of spiders shot out all over the web. I won't do that in a hurry again

[ladylouise62]

Oh, I think that they are beautiful creatures, in fact I was thinking of getting this enlarged for my wall. I wish that I could have got a more complete photo of her, but couldn't without disturbing her.
I am happy to handle most, although with ones like this I always worry that they will bite. It won't be lethal but I do tend to react badly to any normally innocuous bites... not dangerously, just itchy and swollen!

[Chocky]

Were you thinking of nailing her to the wall or flatning her on it?

The reddish squashy one do bite andit stings but doesn't harm.

[ladylouise62]

ROFL... I'll tell the spider you said that

[Chocky]

aww. she might cry if you do and make you wall paper soggy.

[ladylouise62]

I just read on the National History site "It may come as a surprise that a dozen or more spider species resident in the UK are capable of causing a significant bite.". See - I'm not being overly careful

[Chocky]

I would't touch a spider they all bite,I put a glass over it and slide a piece of card under and put it ousid.
Most can't open there jaws far enough to bite a human but yes there are some nasty ones about