ARANEAE ---- A short non-fiction story

                                                        

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.

This drama is not over. Pete and I are still waiting anxiously for the eggs to hatch and I’ll bring you up to date when they do.