Araneae is the scientific name for spider. I have no idea of the sex of this one, but I'm assuming she is the mother. Neither do I know what sort of spider she is, because I couldn't find her in the pictures readily available on the Internet.
ARANEAE
There she is again. I have named her Arania. I should say
there she is still – for she never leaves that egg sack. She holds it with her
two long forearms until threatened or disturbed.
Arania is black, plain black, nothing special about her
appearance. We watched her spinning her web just outside our bedroom window. I
lie on my right side because that’s where I find myself when on the bed –
unable to roll by myself any more. But aren’t I fortunate that it was the right
side fate chose to leave me, for I face a window – the bedroom window – where
Arania spins her web.
It must have been late December or early January when we saw
her first. Each morning we saw the movement of the shrubs as we watched her
rebuilding her house, her garden mansion, little knowing it was in preparation
for a new family.
Eventually she ceased tearing down the web and rebuilding it.
Nevertheless her industry continued, until, before our eyes, it became apparent
she was building her egg sack. Finally about 12 cm or five inches`of completed
egg sack hung resplendent, like a long grey finger of a glove, suspended near
the top of the web.
Day and night she stays with it, holding it at the bottom
with her two long front legs, (or forearms.) The sack has changed shape somewhat
over the weeks, becoming more elongated and dissected into… Apartments?
Pete rises at seven AM each morning, and alone in the bed
one morning I watched Arania fight off a blowfly. Time and time again the
blowfly landed on the sack, and Arania raced up and down chasing it. It hovered
persistently, ducking in at every opportunity to land briefly, only to be
chased away by the no doubt angry and anxious mother
When Pete returned to the bedroom to help me out of bed, I drew his
attention to the battle going on outside the window – but he missed the drama.
By the time he reached the window the fly had given up the assault and flown
away. Arania was back at her post.
Every morning before the news comes on, on the bedroom radio, we watch
for any activity at the spider’s house. Week after week she has remained
motionless, but never deserts that post guarding her young.
This morning something happened. Before the news was over we
saw the blowfly back. Determined to land on a place to deposit its offspring,
the blowfly buzzed around and around and around. Poor Arania must have been
exhausted by the time the struggle ended. Once again she rushed frantically up and down the
egg sack, and at times shook it violently to unseat the fly.
When the fly gave up and flew off, Arania returned to her
post at the bottom. As Pete and I watched in sympathy, she stayed motionless,
no doubt glad to take a rest.
Even in heavy rain and wind the egg sack is somewhat
protected by the spot under the eaves where she chose to build. No doubt it was
a well-planned location.
