Country diary: A warm front door brings out the zebra spiders

Allendale, Northumberland: The wet summer has kept this stripy female sheltering in the silken retreat of the door jamb, but now she can finally emergeThe spiders have been waiting for the sun to come out. I've looked for them each day, missing their quiet presence. Now, like me, they are reaching out for warmth. I think how similar we are in responding to the heat of the morning.These are zebra spiders (Salticus scenicus), a diminutive species that lives around our front door and south-facing windows, both inside and out. The wet summer has had them sheltering in silken retreats along the door jamb; now they have come out to sunbathe and to catch their prey. Continue reading...