Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis
This is a very common species in the garden: the Nursery Web Spider. On sunny days it can be found on the leaves of many plants in the garden taking a sunbath. In order to mate the male spider has to offer the female a present, such as a freshly caught fly. While she eats it, he quickly mates. And he better be quick, because a moment of carelessness and she will eat him without hesitation! After hatching the young are carefully guarded by their mother for some time. The colours in which the spider appears may vary from a light brown to a dark brown, yellowish, greyish or reddish, but the line on the thorax is always there.