Mothercare Spider - Phylloneta sisyphia
Size 3 mm to 4 mm. The Mothercare Spider has a very rounded abdomen which has distinctive black and white markings on the back and some orange-brown streaks on the underside.
Hedgerows and on various other vegetation. Often in gorse or thistles.
Spring to autumn.
The Mothercare Spider gets its name from its caring nature towards its young. The blue-green egg sac is guarded by the female. When the babies hatch, the mother feeds them on regurgitated food. As they grow she shares larger food items with them. As with other species she will die before the young leave the nest and the young will eat her body.
Fairly common and widespread in Britain.
Quite frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland.
5806 British records to Jan 2013
AJ Cann
Croxton Kerrial, road verge
31 May 2019
AJ Cann
Cribbs Meadow
09 June 2019
AJ Cann
Cloud Wood
02 June 2020
AJ Cann
Cribbs Meadow
09 June 2019
AJ Cann
Benscliffe Meadows
09 June 2020
AJ Cann
Croxton Kerrial, road verge
31 May 2019
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Species profile
- Species group:
- Spiders
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
- Order:
- Araneae
- Family:
- Theridiidae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 37
- First record:
- 23/06/1979 (Don Goddard)
- Last record:
- 07/07/2023 (Cann, Alan)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
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Latest records
AJ Cann
Charnwood Lodge
13 July 2019
AJ Cann
Cribbs Meadow
09 June 2019
AJ Cann
Cribbs Meadow
09 June 2019
