Spiders

There are about 600 species of spider in the British Isles, all of which are carnivores. The Garden or Orb Spider is the one which spins the large vertical web often highlighted by mists or morning dew. The female is bigger than the male, and with a larger abdomen in proportion to her body. Their colour can range from almost black to pale ginger, as with this specimen, and there is a characteristic pattern of white dots on the abdomen (opisthosoma) - usually in the form of a cross.
The typical arachnid four pairs of legs are relatively short compared to other species and they are covered with hairs or spines. They are attached to the front (prosoma) of the two sectioned body behind the mouth parts (chelicerae) and pedipalps which are used for holding prey and in the male, for holding the female when mating.