Can spiders be beautiful? There are probably divided opinions on that, but a reasonable candidate would be the male ladybug spider.
The Ladybird Spider (Eresus sandaliatus) is one of the Denmark’s rarest and most spectacular spiders among the about 500 species of spiders in Denmark. It most often lives on heaths and sandy, open slopes. You won’t find it in the shady forest.
Ladybird Spiders spend most of their lives in burrows in the ground, which are vertical, silk-lined and crowned with a canopy of silk – but in the spring they emerge from their underground burrows. It is mating season for the ladybird spider (Eresus sandaliatus).
The ladybird spider lives on warm, south-facing slopes with short vegetation. Here it has its underground tunnel, where it lives most of its life, but in the spring the males emerge into the light and can be seen crawling around in search of females. That is why in the spring you can best experience Denmark’s most beautiful spider.
The Ladybird Spider is a member of the Eresidae family known as “velvet” spiders. The mature male, on his final moult, transforms into the charismatic form with a striking red abdomen with pairs of black spots – the reason for the name “ladybird”. This transformation is likely to be predator protection during his day time search for a female. Red is nature’s warning color.
A powerful bite that pierces the carapace of dung beetles
The ladybug spider has a powerful bite that can bite through the hard carapace of beetles that unsuspectingly crawl across the spider’s web. When the spider down in the burrow senses activity at the entrance, it rushes up and grabs the prey with its powerful bite. Occasionally, the spider’s secret burrow is revealed by the remains of prey lying around the entrance.
And the size? The males are about 8-10 mm long plus legs, while the females’ bodies are slightly larger, 10-16 mm long.
