Spider-krestovik ordinary (Araneus diadematus)- one of the most common family members Araneidae (krestoviki). He is known for his skill in creating perfect traps that can be found in gardens, parks, forests and even on the windows of houses. Its name comes from the distinctive cross pattern on its abdomen.
📌 Why is this spider interesting?
✔ Creates some of the most advanced fishing nets in the world
✔ It has a distinctive "cross" on the back, which makes it easily recognizable
✔ Does not pose a danger to humans
✔ It is known for its effectiveness in the destruction of insect pests
✔ It lives almost all over Europe, Asia and North America
This spider is not only important for the ecosystem, but also a true architect among arthropods!
Scientific classification
✔ The Kingdom: Animals (Animalia)
✔ Type: Arthropods (Arthropoda)
✔ Class: Arachnids (Arachnida)
✔ Row: Pavuk (Araneae)
✔ Family: Cross-legged spiders (Araneidae)
✔ Gender: Araneus
✔ View: Araneus diadematus
📌 The name "diadematus" comes from the Latin word "diadema”, which means “diadem” or" wreath", referring to the characteristic pattern on the abdomen.
Appearance and features
🕷 What does a cross spider look like?
✔ Body size:
• Females: 10-20 mm
• Males: 5-13 mm
✔ Colour: yellow-brown to dark brown
✔ Abdomen: it has a white cross-shaped pattern
✔ Paws: long, covered with small spikes
✔ Oko: 8 eyes arranged in two rows
📌 Krestovnik spiders can change their body color depending on the environment, which helps them disguise themselves!
Distribution area and habitat
🌍 Where does the cross spider live?
✔ Europe: everywhere from Britain to Russia
✔ Asia: temperate zones
✔ North America: USA and Canada
✔ North Africa
📌 Prefers open spaces with vegetation-gardens, forests, meadows, roadsides, parks and even houses!
Lifestyle and behavior
🌿 How does the krestovik spider live?
✔ Leads a sedentary lifestyle "he spends most of his time on his web
✔ Most active at night - this is when it repairs or creates new networks
✔ After catching prey, it is quickly paralyzed by poison
✔ If it senses danger, it falls off the web and hides in the leaves or grass.
📌 Females live longer than males - about a year, while males often die after mating.
Fishing nets-an engineering masterpiece
🕸 How does a cross spider spin a web?
✔ Creates first skeleton made of strong threads
✔ Stretches radial threads from the center to the edges
✔ Fills up the space a spiral of sticky silk, which catches the victim
✔ Positioned in the center or hiding nearby, waiting for prey
📌 Krestoviki can rebuild their web from scratch every night!
Food
🍽 What does the cross spider eat?
✔ Insects: flies, mosquitoes, butterflies, wasps
✔ Other spiders (sometimes)
✔ Small invertebrates
📌 When an insect is trapped, the spider instantly wraps its web around it, injects venom, and consumes it later.
Hunting method
🕸 How does a cross spider catch its prey?
✔ Waiting in the center of the web or nearby
✔ Feels vibrations when an insect gets entangled
✔ Quickly runs up, injects the poison and wraps the victim in a web
✔ Drags it to the center or leaves it for " storage”
📌 The venom dissolves the victim's internal organs, after which the spider sucks out the liquid part.
Reproduction
❤️ How does the cross spider breed?
✔ Males look for females in August-September
✔ After mating, the females lay their eggs in cocoons
✔ Small spiders hatch in the spring
✔ Juveniles are dispersed by means of " air threads”
📌 Males often become food for the female after mating.
Poison and danger to humans
🚨 Is the cross spider dangerous?
✔ The poison is weak, not dangerous for humans
✔ The bite causes minor irritation, similar to a mosquito bite
✔ People with allergies may have a mild reaction
📌 Krestoviki spiders are not aggressive and bite only in case of self-defense!
Interesting facts
💡 One cross spider can eat more than 10 insects per night!
💡 Krestovik's web can be compared to Steel in terms of strength!
💡 This spider can repair damaged webs on its own!
💡 Its youth "travels" in the wind, releasing a spider web into the air!
Conclusion
🕷 Spider-krestovik-a real master of weaving a net, which plays an important role in nature, controlling insect populations! His impressive skills and beauty make him one of the most interesting spiders in the world.
🌿 Do not be afraid of the cross-it does not threaten a person, but on the contrary, it helps to control the number of harmful insects!
