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Description of Metellina segmentata (Autumn orb weaver)
Physical Characteristics
Appearance indistinguishable from the Summer orb weaver (Metellina mengei). Identification can only be done based on genital characteristics and period.
Colour variable.
Female 6.5 to 9 mm.
Abdomen white, yellow or reddish with a dark, spotted area in the centre which at the front has a broader and rounder shape than at the rear. Dark sides.
Carapace pale brown to yellow-brown with a black median band which is forked just behind the eye area.
Legs and palps clearly light-dark annulated.
Male 6 to 7.5 mm.
Markings and colours almost identical to the female. Abdomen with slightly less contrast and legs darker and less clear annulated.
Habitat
In and around forests, gardens and open areas.
Distribution
Common in the whole of Europe.
Period
Autumn and winter.