Rod Williams / Common cross spider (Araneus quadratus) female wrapping Honeybee prey on web, South London, UK, September

Michel Poinsignon / Four spotted orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) web on head of grass, Lorraine, France, July

Stephen Dalton / Four-spot orb-weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) Three images showing colour variation within one species. UK

Stephen Dalton / Orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) building web on flowering heather, UK, Araneidae

Stephen Dalton / Four spotted orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) on plant, UK, Araneidae

Stephen Dalton / Orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) with crane fly prey, Sussex, UK, Araneidae

Stephen Dalton / Orb weaver spider {Araneus quadratus} close up of spinnerets weaving web, UK, Araneidae

Stephen Dalton / Orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) UK, hiding in retreat

Stephen Dalton / Spiderling ball (Araneus quadratus) UK

Stephen Dalton / Spiderling ball (Araneus quadratus) UK

Stephen Dalton / Close up of Orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) producing web from spinerets, UK, Araneidae

Stephen Dalton / Orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) UK, showing a colour variant

Stephen Dalton / Orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) showing dark colour variation, UK

Stephen Dalton / Orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) UK, marbled form

Stephen Dalton / Orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) UK

Stephen Dalton / Spiderling ball (Araneus quadratus) UK

Stephen Dalton / Spiderling ball (Araneus quadratus) UK

Stephen Dalton / Orb weaver spider {Araneus quadratus} amongst vegetation, UK, Araneidae

Stephen Dalton / Close up of three claws and serrated teeth of foot that help to grip and control the strands of the web of Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) UK

Stephen Dalton / Close up of claws used for fine control of the web by the Orb weaver spider {Araneus quadratus} UK, Araneidae

Stephen Dalton / Orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) wrapping insect prey, UK, Araneidae

Kim Taylor / Orb web spiderlings on web {Araneus quadratus} UK.

Michael Hutchinson / Garden spider {Araneus quadratus} UK.

Chris Shields / Illustration of Orb spider (Araneus quadratus),Araneidae: female top, male bottom.

Premaphotos / Four-spot orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) male (right) cohabiting in the lair of an immature female, UK

Premaphotos / Four-spot orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) male showing his complex palps used in mating, UK

Premaphotos / Four-spot orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) male (right) in web-tweaking courtship of the larger female in her web, UK

Premaphotos / Four-spot orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) male (right) mating with the female in her web, UK

Premaphotos / Four-spot orb weaver spider (Araneus quadratus) mass of newly-hatched spiderlings, UK

Duncan Mcewan / Spider {Araneus quadratus} Scotland, UK inverness-shire