A spider’s nest and not a web? Technically it is a web, of course, but not the delicately woven orb that catches dewdrops that sparkle in the early morning light. The compact shape of it is more reminiscent of a tightly woven nest – and it secures the little ones inside, just as the nest of a bird does. What are you talking about? I have featured the nest / web of a rain spider before – usually taken outside. This is what confronted me when I fully opened our lounge curtains during December (they had more or less been kept closed to keep out the heat of the summer sun):
Intriguing. I hadn’t noticed what had been happening behind the curtains. Naturally, I then felt the need to keep an eye on the progress being made. A few days later, this is what I saw:
Hundreds of tiny spiders, some bunched together while others were already haring off on their individual adventures. They had all disappeared (I imagine most of them made their way outdoors) within a day or two. This is what the mother would have looked like – not of these little spiders, for this one was ‘waiting’ for me when I lifted the lid of our rubbish bin outside the kitchen. Of course I jumped back in surprise and my toes curled. She is a rather beautiful creature, nonetheless:
Something Over Tea 