Diadem Spider

I’m at Bovey Heathfield. It’s not quite Dartmoor and the heath is a lowland heath. There are plenty of spiders blocking the paths. It’s Araneus diadematus:

Diadem Spider - Bovey Heath - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

It’s one of my favourite living things. I’ve photographed them before, in Bristol:

I try a little closer:

Diadem Spider - Bovey Heath - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Here’s my drawing of one in my nature notebooks from 1976:

Araneus diadematus 1 - The Hall of Eianr - (c) David Bailey (not the)

Wikipedia says, “They attack based on their size, sexual experience and hunger levels”. That’s only when they are indulging in a little light cannibalism.

Diadem Spider - Bovey Heath - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

I love them.

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