Silver-sided sector spider

Latin name: Zygiella x-notata

German name: Sektorspinne

Web: small to medium orb web with catching threads missing in one or two sectors (looks open). A signal thread runs from the centre through this sector to signal the spider when prey is stuck. If you follow this, you will find the spider!

Habitat: almost always associated with buildings: in the corner of window frames, balconies, gates, fences, under the gutter, ... Can occur in high numbers.

How to recognize:

• abdomen with silver-colored leaf figure
• head with rather triangular, dark figure
• darkly annulated legs

Looks similar to:

• Zygiella atrica: this species is usually more orange, but females can only be identified with certainty using a stereo microscope. Males from Zygiella atrica have noticeably longer palps.
• Zygiella montana: this species only occurs in the higher parts of Belgium.

Body size

♀: 7-11 mm

♂: 4-7 mm

When?

♀: throughout the year

♂: throughout the year