banner
Line Line
back
Meta merianae

Another common Orb Stretch Spider is Meta merianae below. Not only do the Orb Stretch Spiders look like the real Orb-web Spiders, their webs are very similar too. These however always have a hole in the middle and ussually are much smaller than the Orb-web Spider's. Meta merianae loves dark and preferably damp places. In mountainous areas it builds its web in the entrance to caves, holes and cracks. It thus catches insects (flies mainly) looking for shelter from heat, rain or snow or a place to overwinter. In the low lands it is a species of dense forests and other damp, dark spots. There it builds its web near the entrance of holes, like a rabbit hole. But also the entrance to nesting boxes will do. Sometimes the former scientific name Metellina merianae is still used. In the pictures is a specimen overwintering.