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down with silk to make sure of a safe escape
after mating.
Another very interesting aspect of spider
behaviour is the extent to which some species
show parental care. Many newly-hatched are
completely untended by their mother, but some
female spiders will protect and even feed their
young. Theridion sisyphium females will let
their offspring feed from their mouths. Species
of Pardosa, the wolf spiders, carry their young
on their backs until they are able to fend for
themselves.
Some spiders are very specialized in their life-
styles. One example of this is the water spider
Argyroneta aquatica, completely adapted for an
underwater existence. Others have specialised
feeding habits, such as Dysdera, which eats only
woodlice (most other spiders will not tackle
them), and Ero, a pretty little spider which feeds
exclusively on other spiders. There are ant
mimics, flower mimics and a strange yellow and
black spotted spider called Scytodes thoracica
which stalks the inside walls of houses at night
and squirts gum at its prey.
Anyone wishing to learn more about spiders could
do no better than to read W. S. Bristowe's
"The World of Spiders" (Collins New Naturalist)
for a general introduction. Identification of
spiders is not very difficult: with a x 20
lens it is possible with a little practice to run
an adult specimen down to at least genus level.
Only with the very small and dull-coloured
Linyphiidae are you likely to experience difficulty.
Sound identification of these may necessitate
greater magnification and will certainly mean
the preservation of specimens in fluid such as
70% alcohol. However, I would be pleased to offer