Ladybird Spider

Just to show Libby (my sister) that they aren't all horrid (not that any of them are), this is the Ladybird spider (Eresus cinnaberinus). And it IS a British spider (one of the country's rarest in fact!).

BBC VIDEO OF LADYBIRD SPIDER

The reason I pinpointed this spider is that it is one of the longest living spiders - (you asked why the one in my window lived for two years!) The Ladybird spider can live for about five years. And also, it is, if a spider can be cuddly looking, perhaps one of the most attractive spiders in the world.
It is only found in certain areas of moorland in the UK. I believe it could be found on Thorne Moors at one time.
Thing is, folk don't often realise we have fancy spiders like this in the UK!

He's gone! :(

The little fella in my bathroom has officially buggered off/died. Perhaps this is a signal to get my flat in order. I have webs to put Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to shame! Six days without the bog spider - I guess he's dead!
But that is a tiny animal that has lived there for two years. Pretty amazing animal. I've watched him for two years. Crazy little critters if you ask me. Some people (my sister included) just squish them! Eughhhhh!
If I had to live in a window and eat flies, I'd find a morgue window frame! I just feel sorry for the poor little buggers inhabiting windows at Woolies! Windolene ain't quite as tasty as a bluebottle for them.
Mind you, there'll be some beauties at the MFI warehouse off the M18 at Doncaster come April.
Big up the eight-legged beasts!
Stay webwise folks.

xx Gav.

Spider intelligence?

Here's an interesting question. How intelligent is a spider?
Are they just irritating beasts?
Now, obviously, I KNOW they aren't. But I may have just recently conducted a fascinating experiment purely by accident.
About a year ago, perhaps even longer ago, a spider set up camp in my bathroom window. A humble little amaurobius similis.
I wasn't bothered by him/her. And so, this relationship continued for months. It just sat there on the window ledge every day. Regardless of whether I was using the loo, cleaning my teeth, or just having a shower. It was always in the same position. Never bothered it and it never bothered me.
Now, you can call me cruel, or maybe experimental, but about two weeks ago, a smallish tegenaria spider (domestica - too small to be duellica or gigantea) crawled across my sofa. I grabbed him in a beaker and popped him on the windowsill in my bathroom. The amaurobius similis did what I can only describe as packed his bags. At the point I dropped the larger spider, the little amaurobious tried to attack, backed off and disappeared. Then, for days, the tegenaria spider actually sat guarding the web I'd dropped it in, belonging, in fact to the amaurobius similis.
Then I felt very guilty. This little spider had been there for a year. I even had a holiday abroad and came back to see the little fella sat there.
Then, bizarrely, this week, the very same amaurobius similis started appearing around my flat. Obviously looking for warmth or food. Tonight I went to the windowsill, checked the web, found the tegenaria (yes, it was still there - thinking 'cheers mate, you gave me free food here when you dropped me here) removed it and put it outside.
I then found the amaurobius similis, caught it in my hand, left it on the bathroom wall, and, I HAVE to report, it has taken up its usual residence in the silk it laid in my bathroom window frame.

Spiders. They don't give them eight legs for nothing!
Stay webwise folks.

xx Gav.