Today, as I was working on improving the chicken run, I spotted a small but interesting spider running across the path. Fortunately, I was able to take a picture of it using the Seek app from iNaturalist which told me that it was a Walnut Orb Weaver.
This spider also has some alternative names – some people call it the “Toad Spider”, and some call it the “Evening Spider”.
These spiders have very distinctive flattened bodies which enable them to hide in crevices. The walnut colouration of the abdomen gives the species its common name.
The Walnut Orb Spider hides away during the day in nooks and crannies or under bark, close to its web and it only emerges to secure any prey that gets trapped in the web. It will emerge to construct a new web in the evening and can then be seen sitting at the centre of its web waiting for its next meal – this is why it is also known as ‘The Evening Spider’.
Mr Wilson, who is helping us with the biodiversity project, says that we may have up to 40 different spiders on the school grounds! Let’s see if we can find them all!
No Comments Yet