She starts making the cocoon by setting up some strong anchor ties. |
As other spider families,
orb web spiders do not only weave to catch prey, but many other things. One of them are
cocoons, where their offspring hatch and spend their young age. A
cocoon is the nursery of an orb web spider.
During late pregnancy the hind part of the female is well rounded and packed with eggs. The front part, where the legs originate, is hardly visible in the vicinity of her huge abdomen. A prey web Argiope places between high grasses, whereas a cocoon is always placed at the base of grass tussocks or in shrubs, in this case a young spruce. The framework that the cocoon is hung to must not collapse during wintertime. Single grass stems perish in autumn and decay during winter, whereas tussocks and woody shrubs remain. |
