I had a surprise waiting for me in the green patch this morning. A spider had drawn several leaves together, and inside the little leaf tent, she had made her nest. When I pulled the leaves apart, I was surprised to see a mother spider with lots of little tiny babies! When I stepped back, to retain my composure, she quickly scrambled on to the nest I had uncovered, checking the status of the babies. Deciding to remain calm, I went to the nets to do a little research. She appears to be a nursery web spider, scientific name Pisaurina Mira. Thankfully this is an non poisonous species. I shouldn't need any insecticide in that garden bed for the rest of the Summer! Interestingly, this spider doesn't build a web, and wait for insects to arrive. They go out hunting, and catch insects as needed. I also stumbled upon this article, which is interesting reading: The Gardener is Never More than Three Feet Away from a Beneficial Spider
