Orbweaver spiders
families
Araneidae and Tetragnathidae.
The familiar, vertical orb webs are built in cotton by several different kinds of spiders, orbweavers belonging to the families
Araneidae and
Tetragnathidae. The webs are most noticeable when the plants are fairly large but before the canopy closes over the furrows. Common garden spiders (
Araneidae: Araneus) wait under nearby leaves for flying insects to become trapped in their webs, whilst St Andrew cross spiders (
Araneidae: Argiope) rest in the centre of their webs, often with their legs in the shape of a cross. Remains of heliothis moths are often found hanging in the webs which are usually rebuilt every evening.
