Crusader spider: a small animal with a cross on its back

Cross-spiders: photo

Description of the spider

Name: Cross
Latin: araneus

Class: Arachnida - Arachnida
Squad: Spiders - Araneae
Family: Orb-weaving spiders - Araneidae

	Habitats:	everywhere
	Dangerous for:	small insects
	Attitude towards people:	not dangerous

Cross spiders - a type of spider from families of orbs. They are ubiquitous and there are more than 1000 species.

Structure

Like all spiders body structure has a cephalothorax, belly and limbs. Covers everything with a chitinous shell.

Spider life span

Crosses are one of those spider speciesthat have the shortest, by the standards of a spider, life. Males die immediately after mating, and the female prepares a cocoon for offspring, lays eggs and dies as well.

Range and habitation

The cross spider is a common species. He lives in Europe and many American states. Depending on the species, they can live:

Hunting and prey

Spider cross.

The cross spider uses a large trapping net for hunting. Weaving a net is a regular process, because a lot of garbage and large animals get into it. The spider itself can break it and make a new one.

The cross spider has one of the most ingenious and durable cobwebs. This excellent hunting tool is designed so that the spider itself never gets stuck.

Near the spreading web there is always an animal shelter made of leaves. So he waits for his prey. When a small insect gets into a trap, the spider feels movement and gets out of hiding.

The spider's venom is very strong and the caught victim quickly becomes a nutrient solution for the spider.

Interestingly, he instinctively defends himself. If too much prey or an insect gets into the web, which can cause harm, the spider quickly breaks the web and leaves.

Reproduction

The cross spider is a dioecious animal. To call the female to mating, the male climbs into the nets and begins to gradually sip them, shaking and raising his legs. This is a kind of marriage ritual.

Spider with a cocoon.

The male dies immediately, and the female prepares a dense cocoon from her web for some time. She wears it until she lays her eggs. This occurs in autumn, after which the female also dies.

Eggs lie in a cocoon until spring. Its special structure allows spiderlings to comfortably endure frost and water. When warming, they begin to hatch from the cocoon, but they sit there for some time, until warming.

Small spiders, after getting out of their safe hiding place, quickly disperse in search of food and in order to avoid the fate of becoming food for predators or larger arachnids.

Spiders and people

This type of spider prefers to build its dwellings away from people. They have a potent venom that quickly kills many insects. It is also dangerous on some invertebrates and rodents.

Crosses are not dangerous for people. Even if large individuals are able to bite through the skin, then the poison is not enough to poison. When bitten, there is a slight pain and burning sensation, in some cases, numbness.

Cross spiders very easily adapt to living conditions. they are often raised as pets. There are a number of rules to observe for growing.

Varieties of crosses

Of the large number of cross-type spiders, a little more than 30 varieties are found on the territory of the Russian Federation. Among them there are rare specimens.

Four-spotted or meadow cross

The spider may vary in shades, depending on the habitat. Usually they are small, up to 2 cm in size. On the back, four light spots are clearly visible, in the form of a cross. For humans, the species is not dangerous.

Araneus sturmi

A small spider that can be of completely different sizes, it is light yellow to dark brown. Its body is covered with hair, and its paws are small and striped. Lives mainly in coniferous forests.

Common cross

The most common of many spider species, Araneus diadematus lives primarily in fields and lawns. Thanks to their dense large web and strong poison, they are excellent hunters.

Araneus angulatus

The angular cross is a member of the Red Book and a rare representative. Its dimensions are large, compared with many crosses. Differences - the absence of a specific cross and the web, is highly located.

barn spider

This type of spider is common in the United States and Canada. It prefers to build its nets and dwellings on rocks and cliffs. Males and females of this species are similar in appearance and size. They often live near people.

Araneus mitificus

Instead of a cross on the belly, an unusual pattern. Some say that he exactly repeats the face of Pringles chips. The size of the animal is very tiny, but they are excellent hunters. From their ambush, they often attack animals and insects, many times larger than the spider itself.

oak cross

A spider that is distributed throughout the temperate climate of Russia and Europe. Its abdomen is distinctive, pointed. The pattern on top repeats the Christmas tree, and below on the belly there is a yellow spot.

Araneus alsine

The little spider prefers to live in humid temperate forests. The chilly cross has bright colors of the abdomen - orange, red and beige. There are many whitish spots on the surface, which suggests a small strawberry.

Conclusion

The cross spider is a constant and very useful neighbor of a person. It eats a large number of insects, which can harm agriculture. This small hunter has a strong web and strong poison, but is not at all dangerous to humans.