The orb webs of Araneus diadematus in a city garden in early autumn
I always thought the word gossamer just meant spider silk. But now I know where the word comes from, I see it specifically refers to the fine threads that blow and glitter on the breeze on sunny days at this autumn time of year.
The Middle English word was gossomer, perhaps from “goose summer”, a time of year when geese are in season and spider webs abound.
Goose summer is also another name for St Martin’s summer, which we now prefer to call an Indian summer. This last name comes from the USA, so it relates to the first nations of America, rather than to the Indian subcontinent.
Plump Araneus diadematus feeding in the last week of September, 2011
St Martin’s Day is November 4, so last week’s mini heatwave in parts of Britain was a bit early to be called any of these names. Some say you can’t have an Indian summer until you have had the first frost of the autumn.
Originally “gossamer threads” were those used by small spiders to fly long distances through the air at this time of year, although the definition has extended a little now to the orb webs on bushes and draped over doors, windows and even cars.
Araneus diadematus wrapping its prey with silk, spun from the spinnerets at the end of its abdomen...
Over the last few months I have been watching the diadem spiders grown until by now they are quite huge and plump. They are orb-web weavers, also known as just “garden spiders” and the Latin name is Araneus diadematus.
A tiny young Araneus diadematus in June 2011
Still growing - an Araneus diadematus in August 2011
A diadem is a jewelled head band or simple crown (originally from Greek dia – “round” and deein “to bind”). Although the spider wears its diadem around its pretty abdomen…
I know I haven't achieved much depth of field here, but I don't use a tripod when out and about and don't have a steady hand, so I can't slow down the speed too much to use a smaller aperture...
If you dare, see more of my spider pictures here:
My spiders identification project
The Squirrelbasket 
There was a time I couldn’t have even looked at these pictures – I’ll be explaining how that changed after a trip to the Amazon at True Stories Told Live Monday October 10th at Kemi’s Cafe. Doors 7:00 for food and drinks, stories start around 7:30.
I’m OK with small spiders, but not sure I could face the Amazon (or Australia) – all those big ones dangling from trees…
I will email you to see if I can give your event a plug, if it’s not too late to do so 🙂
I will now call our weather ‘goose summers’. Makes more sense, is more lovely and abandons confusion about which Indian. (I’d got the wrong one!)
I’m confused about spiders though. Have thought until this post that orb spiders were the ones (often yellow and brown stripes) which make messy webs while garden spiders make neat ones, however big they are.
Yes, it’s nice to have new combinations of words to play with…
As for the orb web question, well I’m not sure now. But here’s a link to something about the spider I’m talking about, called here the “garden orb spider”.
I also think “orb web” applies to lots of spiders and just means they make a web like a cartwheel. Then there are the “missing sector orb weavers”, which have a few spokes missing! And the hammock weavers and nursery web weavers, etc etc. Here is a great website if you like looking at spiders and want a better explanation: Eurospiders
I’m not sure what the striped ones you are talking about would be, but perhaps you will recognise it on that website…
Loved your nature creeps into architecture post, by the way 🙂
Pat..I have always loved to view the beautiful webs they spin, especially when the dew is on them in the morning sun..One morning I got the idea to spray a web I found with black spray paint (fine spray) then I took a small art canvas and placed it behind the web and slowly brought it forward so the web was now on the canvas, I sprayed the whole canvas with a finish spray and matted it..now even in the winter I can appreciate the masterpiece done by a Spider..
I’ve heard of that being done with white spray paint for a snow effect, but never with black! Sounds like a great idea for Halloween, though…
I’m afraid that although I am very practical, I’m not very coordinated, so not sure I could manage to do what you’ve done.
Although I love the shape of the web, I quite like the rainbow-colours, too, and when a web is laden with raindrops or frost 🙂
The top shot of the overlapping webs is stunning, I’ve never seen such a cluster!
There is a particular week or so every year when this happens and the sun shines and the spiders are big and juicy. Then the next week they are all gone…
Thanks for stopping by 🙂