The hammock building Spider Agalenatea redii

A small, barely noticeable spider that likes to hide in dry bushes.

Initially first described in 1763 by Italian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, the orb-weaver Agalentea redii is a spider of paleartic distribution. It shares its genus with just Agalenatea liriope, which is recorded only in Ethiopia and Yemen.

Commonly referred to as Gorse Orbweaver, this spider is known to inhabit sunny and dry areas. The common German Name “Körbchenspinne”, roughly translated to “Basket Spider” and hints at the curious little construction the spider weaves next to its orb-web.

Overall appearance and sexual dimorphism

Agalenatea redii does not reach massive sizes. It could easily fit on the thumb of an adult person and barely cover their fingernail. And, just like many other species of spiders, males tend to be smaller (4.6 mm – 6.2 mm) than their female counterparts (6.6 mm – 10.3 mm).

A noticeable hairy little thing, this spider appears in brownish hues that allow for near-perfect camouflage on dead shrubs. While the prosoma is densly covered in whitish-grey hairs, the opisthosoma seems only to be surrounded by a thin margin of such light hair. The pattern on its back resembles a cross and appears irregularly throughout the species.

Apart from their size, adults may be distinguished by the appearance of their pedipalps, just like in many other species of orb-weaving spiders. The Wiki of the Arachnological Society of Europe also notes, that females do not partake in brood care or cocoon guarding behaviour.

A spider building hammocks in sunny places

If the spider cannot be recognised by its overall appearance, its webbing can serve as an additional indicator. Like other members of the family Araneidae (orb-weaving spiders), Agalenatea redii relies on an orb-web to catch its prey. However, compaired to other spiders in the family, Agalenatea will construct itself a little retreat near its prey catching web. This construction resembles a basket, bowl, or hammock.

As araneidae.cz and araneae.ch note, this spider is thermophilic and likes to build its home in sunny areas on dry shrubs. Personally, I get to see them often in a dry meadow near my residence.

Personal observation and notes on identification

My first observation of this spider happened on a walk on a foggy September morning. The perfect weather to spot all the different spider webs! Since I walk the before mentioned meadow regularly with our pug Alice, I am fairly familiar with some common spider hiding spots.

The spot I knew was inhabited by spiders of the family Tetragnathidae held a little surprise that morning. Most often, Tetragnathidae hang either dead center in their orb-webs, or align themselves along the branches near their web for camouflaging. Initially, I was looking for one of these spiders as I spotted the hammock of Agalenatea redii including its constructor within it.

My first guess had been a spider of genus Araneus, since it had that pattern on its abdomen that reminded me of a cross. However, I had never noticed them to be that hairy and flat. So I noted the structure of the hammock and the spider’s overall cross-spider-like appearance. At that time I was blissfully unaware, that the orb web behind the spider was hers to begin with.

The only hairy spider I found to have the potential to be confused with Agalenatea redii is Neoscona subfusca, since it is also established in Switzerland and about the same size in males as in females. However, images of Neoscona subfusca indicate a opisthosoma shaped like it is the case for spiders of the genus araneus. Additionally, araneae.ch notes, that a folium-like pattern is visible, which does not seem to be the case with A. redii.

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