Garden Spider

Name: Garden Spider

Scientific name: Araneus diadematus

Category: Minibeasts

Nature Stars: 20

What are nature stars?

About: The commonest 'orb web spider' in Britain, abundant in gardens, grassland and woodland, found almost everywhere. They build the typical spider webs out of sticky silk, which they use to catch flying insects. Females are larger, with a body up to 1.5cm long. The male is noticeably smaller, maybe only half the size.

How to identify: One of the more easily recognised spiders, told by the large white cross on the abdomen.

Where: Widespread

Natural Superpowers

• Predator: 90
• Agility: 80
• Rarity: 20
• Cute factor: 10
• Traveller: 20

Fantastic fact: Spider silk is amazingly lightweight. A strand of silk long enough to go all the way round the Earth would weigh less than 500 grams!

Photograph credit: Chris Maguire