Whilst NOT out searching for great spiders...

Like so many things in life, its not until you stop looking that you actually stumble over the very thing you were looking for. Now as regular readers know, i'm on the lookout for huge Aussie-style spiders and as such the little baby ones don't normally get a word in edgeways. This one, however, I think is high up on the honourable mentions table...

This, we believe (through discussion with the expert Andy 'Danger, HA! I mock it!' Currey) may be a male red back spider. Its a bit difficult to see as the little chap, whose life expectancy at this time could best be listed as 'moribund', wouldn't quite sit up to show his abdomen properly. When I first saw him as I was nipping out for a smoke he was more side on and you could clearly see the very distinctive shape of the widow (Ln. Steatoda) family. Steatoda spiders are found throughout the world, in both temperate and tropical climates. They are small to moderately small (3-9 mm) spiders with oval abdomens; they may be reddish, brownish or black, with most species exhibiting a white band at the front of the dorsal abdomen which may resemble a collar and include the Australian Red Back and world-renowned Black Widow (which I have noted appears predominantly in North America).

I didn't want to get too much closer as no matter how many times I read that they are more likely to flee than fight I have this bizzare image of said beastie leaping at me, fangs bared in a blood lust equalled only by the midgies round Kielder Water in North England. And I couldn't get the other side of him due to the angle of the glass from the outside of the building...So you'll have to make do with this pic. Sorry its not the larger, more distinctive female with the hourglass red mark down its back -next time perhaps I should get a cotton bud out and see if it will stay still so that i can colour it in for you (not bloody likely! lol)...

I would also love to tell you that no spiders were hurt in the making of this post but regret to inform this poor little corpse (nee redback) was too close for comfort. At least it settled the age old argument of Can of Industrial Strength Mortein-v-Spider.