Species of the Month: September 2024

Garden Orb Spider: Araneus diadematus

During 2024, our 20th anniversary year, we are revisiting our Species of the Month archive to reshare some of our "greatest hits" through the years. This month we are looking back a decade to October 2024, and the ubiquitous Garden Spider. Records in the SEWBReC area have increased from 274 to 943 but this common species is still very under recorded. Can you help get us to 1000 records?

View the 1km distribution on Aderyn here.

A common sight during the autumn months, this large spider is surprisingly under-recorded - the SEWBReC database contains a mere 274 sightings (943 in 2024). Although the species varies greatly in colour, the distinctive pale markings (often forming a cross) on the abdomen makes ID relatively straight forward. The common name comes from the beautiful orb webs created by the species, which will appear over night, often in gardens! More information about Araneus diadematus can be found on NatureSpot. You can view the Wales wide distribution map on Aderyn.

 If you spot this species during September (or at any other time of year) please send us the record, ideally via our Species of the Month form on SEWBReCORD or the LERC Wales App. Instructions on how to submit records are available here.