European Nursery Web spider
Pisaura mirabilis
To avoid becoming a post-mating snack, the male presents the female with a 'nuptial gift'—a dead insect wrapped carefully in white silk.
- Scientific name
- Pisaura mirabilis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Arachnida › Araneae › Pisauridae › Pisaura
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Tall grass, meadows, forest edges, heaths, and shrublands.
- Diet
- Flies, mosquitoes, moths, aphids, and other small insects.
- Range
- Europe, North Africa, Western Asia
- Size
- Body length of 10-15 mm (excluding legs); females are larger than males.
- Lifespan
- 1-2 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to urbanization, intensive agricultural mowing, and widespread pesticide use.
- Safe to approach?
- This species is harmless to humans and non-aggressive. They may bite defensively if squeezed or if their nursery web is actively disturbed, but their venom is mild. Observe them safely from a few inches away. If bitten, wash the area with soap and water; seek medical attention only in the rare event of an allergic reaction.
The nursery web spider Pisaura mirabilis is a spider species of the family Pisauridae.
Photo: Mathias Krumbholz, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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