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Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

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description Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) Overview

The nursery web spider, Pisaura mirabilis, is a European spider commonly found in grasslands, woodland edges, and other low vegetation. Females carry their egg sacs in their jaws and later construct a silk nursery tent that protects the spiderlings after hatching. During courtship, males often present silk-wrapped prey as nuptial gifts, a behavior associated with mating success and reduced risk of attack by the female.

help Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) FAQ

Why is it called a Nursery Web Spider?

The Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis) gets its name from the female's unique habit of building a protective web tent, or nursery, for her young. She carries her egg sac in her fangs until the babies are ready to hatch, then secures the sac inside this specialized web.

What is the 'nuptial gift' behavior of the Nursery Web Spider?

Male Nursery Web spiders are famous for practicing 'nuptial gifting,' where they wrap a dead insect in silk and offer it to the female during mating. Some sneaky males will even wrap a useless object, like a seed or an empty husk, to trick the female while they mate.

Where are Pisaura mirabilis most commonly found?

The Nursery Web Spider is native to Europe and is highly adaptable, found in habitats ranging from dense woodlands to open grassy meadows. Unlike orb-weavers, they are active hunters that do not spin webs to catch their prey, relying instead on their speed.

Do male Nursery Web spiders play dead to avoid being eaten?

Yes, if a male Nursery Web Spider is attacked by a larger female while attempting to mate without a gift, he will often drop and completely stiffen his body to play dead. Once the female relaxes, he will abruptly revive and quickly attempt to mate.

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