Cross spider

• Status: Unknown
• Gardens and open woodlands of the Holarctic region

Numbers

Weight

0,04 ozfrom 0.02 to 0.05 oz (females)

Length

0,8 inadult female, from 0.25 to 0.8 in; the male ranges from 0.2 to 0.5 in

Lifespan

2 yearsfrom 1 to 2 years; females die shortly after laying eggs

Eggs per cocoon

500 laid in a single cocoon at the end of summer

Incubation

9 monthsthe eggs spend the entire winter enclosed in the cocoon

Sexual maturity

4 monthsout of a total lifespan of one or two years

Ten fun facts

1. 01

   the white cross on its back is made of cells filled with guanine, a waste product of protein metabolism.

2. 02

   the female reaches four fifths of an inch while the male reaches only half an inch, a difference that matters during courtship.

3. 03

   it lays about five hundred eggs in a single silk cocoon at the end of summer, then dies shortly afterward.

4. 04

   the eggs hatch nine months later, which means no female spider ever sees the offspring that she laid.

5. 05

   it reaches sexual maturity at four months old, but its entire life lasts for only one or two years.

6. 06

   its bite has no serious consequences for humans, causing only a very mild sting that feels like a slight pinch.

7. 07

   when disturbed, it almost always flees instead of attacking, even when sitting right at the center of its web.

8. 08

   it is not at the top of the food chain, as birds, amphibians, and lizards regularly catch and eat it.

9. 09

   it catches medium-sized flying insects, such as bees, flies, wasps, and butterflies that get trapped in silk threads.

10. 10

    there are four recognized subspecies, with one living only in Iceland and another living only in Corsica.

The quiz answers

Five questions about this animal. Pick an answer and find out if it is the right one.

Try it yourself

Data from Wikidata (Q337509) and Wikipedia (Araneus diadematus).