Common Cross Spider (Araneus diadematus)

This spider, with the white cross on its back is also known as the garden spider but it can be seen just about anywhere during the autumn, there are countless numbers of them. They are usually seen huddled up in the centre of their amazingly fine webs waiting for their next meal to drop in.

By far our most abundant spider, you can find the common cross spider in gardens, on scrub and shrubs, hedgerows, fences, even on cars (they use my wing mirror as a base point for web building).

A ferocious little creature to encounter if you are unsuspecting insect but quite harmless to anything bigger and on close inspection they are amazingly beautiful.