Yesterday I took my macro lens out to SWT North Cove to look for butterflies and insects. It was very sheltered in the reserve between the trees amongst the undergrowth with several butterflies on the wing and masses of dragonflies around. I was happily photographing these which included Southern Hawkers, Brown Hawkers, Common and Ruddy Darters when I spotted one of the darters on the path in front of me. Crouching down I was preparing to take a picture when it flew off leaving me looking around in disappointment but from this lower vantage point I was able to see many insects and spiders around me, one in particular that immediately took my attention that upon closer inspection turned out to be a stunning Wasp Spider.
These spiders have only recently started to spread up through the country probably due to recent milder winters from the south coast where they first appeared in 1922 but they are still very unusual around here with very few records. They are quite a large spider around the size of a two pence piece and have the yellow and black colouration that resembles a wasp and gives them their common name. Only the females have this colour and grow to this size, the males are much smaller and browner. The males take a big chance to mate with the females as they are often eaten after mating, many males wait until the female sheds its skin before trying to mate as the jaws are much softer after shedding but even with this precaution many don't survive the process. Wasp spiders are one of the few spiders that are able to pierce human skin with their jaws but luckily they are not poisonous so no lasting damage should be done.
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