SPIDER, NURSERY

(Dolomedes minor).

The presence of this spider is indicated by the thickly webbed white nests which envelop the tips of gorse, broom, manuka, reeds, and many other plants throughout New Zealand. These nests, which may be 6 in. or more in length, enclose the eggs and later the young spiders of this species. The adult spider is a handsome, chocolate-brown coloured species with pink and black stripes on its body. It is about 1 in. in length and has a leg span of about 2 in.

by Roy Alexander Harrison, D.SC., Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Zoology, Lincoln Agricultural College.