Spiders are often unloved and that’s a shame! Think before you crush one, big or small. They are excellent allies for gardeners. They like to feast on aphids, flies, mosquitoes and thus contribute to the regulation of populations.
Small list established by SVT teacher and nature photographer, Stéphane Vitzthum:
– Saltiques: these are jumping spiders. They are very small and very discreet. They live next to colonies of aphids which they feast on.
– Spiders: these spiders weave magnificent webs, clearly visible in the morning dew. By examining them, one can easily see prey inside (midges, mosquitoes…)
– The cucumber spider (Araniella cucurbitina) : not easy to spot it because it is small and green in color, so it is often confused with the leaves. It often goes completely unnoticed…
All spiders are equipped with four pairs of eyes on the front and side of the head. The pair at the front serves as a magnifying glass, the others as control towers because spiders obviously have predators themselves, insectivorous birds in particular.
On the hunting side, spiders develop different strategies but all eat dead prey after injecting them with venom.
“When the web is sticky, the insect will find itself trapped in the web by chance. When it gets trapped, the vibrations of the web alert the spider, which rushes to bite it and inject it with powerful venom. This venom liquefies the insect and the spider wraps the prey in a web forming a small package. If the prey is larger, the spider injects its venom two or three times while making a wrapping of threads to prevent the insect from struggling and escaping. The feast takes place after the death of its victim.” says Stéphane Vitzthum.
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Reproduction in spiders is a difficult exercise. The male and the female have an interest in showing themselves that they are not potential prey. We then witness highly codified love parades, the only possibility of mating without damage.
When the deal is done, the male takes his paws around his neck and the female stores the spermatozoa in her spermatheca: “She uses this reserve to ensure fertilization. When she lays, the eggs are usually packaged in a cocoon where they will remain until the following summer. Hundreds of baby spiders are born at the same time. They come out of the cocoon, emit a thread which, thanks to the wind, will allow them to settle in a new territory, between 3 and 100 m around their place of birth.” says Stéphane Vitzthum.
In the fall, some spiders seek to enter our homes to protect themselves from the oncoming cold. They are tegenarians, often impressive but not evil. Don’t crush them. Use all means to get them back into the garden.