About

Cucumber spiders are a common sight across the UK, found along the edges of woodlands, in hedgerows and many other habitats with trees or bushes. They spin small webs amongst the foliage to catch flying insects. Rather than hiding away, cucumber spiders often sit out in the open, relying on their green body to camouflage them as they wait to pounce on any prey caught in their web.

There are five British species of cucumber spider, four of which need to be viewed under a microscope to identify to species. Only two of these are common - Araniella cucurbitina and the virtually identical Araniella opisthographa.