Missing Sector Spider

Special features: The Missing Sector spider has a silver-grey coloured abdomen with a brown oak leaf pattern on the back. The legs dark brown with light brown bands.

The photo above shows a female with her egg sac. She remains with her eggs until she dies. The abdomen of the male is smaller than the female.

This spider has a very distinctive orb-web which always looks as if there is a triangular section missing (hence the name). If you imagine the web in the photo below as the face of a clock you'll notice the section between 11 and 12 o' clock is missing. Running through the middle of that section is a single thread of silk which leads to the spiders retreat.

Latin name: Zygiella x-notata

Size: Length up to 7mm.

Distribution: Found throughout the UK.

Months seen: Females can be seen all year round. Males are usually more active in the summer months.

Habitat: Frequently on windows and around houses.

Food: Flies and small insects