At the end of the summer the garden is full of webs. Many webs are from the European garden spider. They often span a great distance. 
The females are  adult in the second year of their lives. They are much larger than the males. That is at the end of the summer. Hence the many big webs. The mating is risky for the males, for they can be eaten by the female.

When it is freezing the adult spiders die.

The eggs are in cocoons and are deposited in autumn. This way they hibernate. The young spiders, which hatch in the spring, release long silken threads to travel on the wind to other areas. (ballooning)
Cross spider because of the the white dots on its back forming a cross. Its colour is from light yellow to dark grey.
Length 11 - 18 mm.
Western Europe, parths of  North America

German: Gartenkreuzspinne  French: épeire diadème

Walnut Orb-Weaver Spiders have a flattened body, with a leathery skin.  
The spider on the photo was on top of the window. It felt threatened by me. When it failed to hide, it let itself down to the ground on a safety line. Then it pretended to be dead. It folded its legs around.
The spiders are nocturnal and shy by day. It is hiding under the loose bark of trees. You also often find the spider around houses.
The web looks like the web of a cross spider. From the web the spider makes a signaling thread to the hiding place. After dusk it sits in the center of the web. Especially moths should beware.
Length male  9 mm lang, female 14 mm.
A common spider in Central Europe.
The spider on this photo is very dark. But the color ranges from red brown to grey brown. On its body a leaf-like marking.

    Photo 28-5-2010. AWalnut Orb-Weaver Spider with the leaf-like marking.
German: Spaltenkreuzspinne  French: épeire des fissures

Araniella spec. Family orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae)

The Araniella cucurbitina and the Araniella opisthographa are not to distinguish from a photo.
They are recognizable by the yellow-green back body. 
In July, the eggs are laid in cocoons near the web. The very young spiders are light in color. In the autumn they are red, brown. A good camouflage among autumn leaves. They hibernate.

Males 5 mm, females 8 mm.
Small webs. Approximately 10 cm diameter.

    Photo 28-5-2010

German: Kürbisspinnen  French: épeire concombre

Zygiella x-notata Family orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae)

You can find the webs of this spider often in window frames
The web has to the top in the corner two sectors without connecting threads 

The eggs in a cocoon hibernate. The spiderlings hatch next spring.

Males 7 mm, females 11 mm.

  
  
German: Sektorspinne, Sektorenspinne  French: épeire des fenêtres

Mangora acalypha Family orb-weaver spiders (Araneidae)

An easily recognizable spin. By the spots on the body and the black border and center stripe on the carapace..

Webs on bushes and low vegetation.
Male 3 - 3,5 mm, female 5,5 - 6 mm.

The Palearctic regions.

German: Streifenkreuzspinne

Stretch spider spec. (Tetragnatha spec.) Family Stretch spiders (Tetragnathidae) 

There are similar species. They are not to identify from a picture.

Early summer I often see them  at the pond on the leaves of the yellow iris. 
Although I haven't seen it, they can walk over water.

Ph

German: Eigentlichen Streckerspinnen 

Stretch spider spec. (Tetragnatha spec.) Family Stretch spiders (Tetragnathidae) 

Also this spider is not to identify from a photo.

It looks a bit different from the neighbor above. I have found this spider five months later, in a different place. Not near the pond, but near our house in a bush in a web. I've kept my spade behind the stretch spider to get it better on the photo.

Photo 23-10-09

Like the money spiders metellina species  have a tuning fork figure on the carapace.
Metellina mengei  Length 5 mm. July - September or Metellina segmentata. They are very similar. Despite their name they are about the same time of the year.

According Jacomijn Princen: If the ventral hairs (not the bristles) are shorter than the diameter of the leg: It is the M. segmentata. When they are twice as long, it is is the M. mengei. This feature applies only to males. 

   Photos 23-4-2010.  Sometimes, they have a lighter colour. Photo 12-9-2010

German: Herbstspinnen  

Enoplognatha ovata or Enoplognatha latimana. Family tangle-web spiders,  cobweb spiders or comb-footed spiders (Theridiidae) 

Two very similar species. The color may vary. Always two rows of black spots.

The cocoons with eggs are light blue. You can find them on leaves curled by spinning

Length 3 - 6 mm

Episinus angulatus Family tangle-web spiders,  cobweb spiders or comb-footed spiders (Theridiidae) 

They can stretch their front legs forward like Stretch spiders. I found this spider on a flowerpot.
They make their H-shaped web at or near ground level 

The Episinus angulatus has a flat, thin body, but it broadens a bit near the end.  
About 5 mm

Rabbit hutch spider (Steatoda bipunctata)  Family tangle-web spiders,  cobweb spiders or comb-footed spiders (Theridiidae) 

The carapace is glossy shiny brown.
The Steatoda bipunctata spider is often found under trees and in or around houses, barns and garages.

Length  4 to 7 mm

       Photo 13-2-2010. A hibernating Rabbit hutch spider under the lid of a garbage. Maybe a young spider.

German: Fettspinne  

Anelosimus vittatus, Seycellocesa vittatus Family tangle-web spiders,  cobweb spiders or comb-footed spiders (Theridiidae) 

Length female 3 - 3.5 mm, male 2.5 - 3.5 mm.
Low in the trees, in bushes and high vegetation.

Money spider (Linyphia triangularis) Family sheet weavers,  money spiders (Linyphiidae)

Money spiders have a tuning fork figure on the carapace. The Linyphia, tenuipalpis is similar, but this spider is mainly found in the eastern Netherlands and is rarer.

The cocoons with eggs are hidden under the leaves
  
           Last German: Gemeine Baldachinspinne  

Lepthyphantes minutus Genus Lepthyphantes Family sheet weavers, money spiders (Linyphiidae).

In any case Lepthyphantes. The species is not certain. Recognizable by the dark carapace and striped legs.
On the site eurospiders.com are gedetailed  photos.
You can find it near tree trunks I found this spider in October under a bag of sand.

Lepthyphantes are small spiders. This is a larger species. But still small. 
Length 3 - 4 mm.

Platform hammock-spider (Neriene peltata) Family sheet weavers, money spiders (Linyphiidae).

The back is white with a dark brown central stripe. The abdomen is striped brown and white.

Body length about 5 mm.

Male: April - July. Female: April - September
  
     

German: Waldbaldachinspinne  

The female is dark and has a white band on the side. On the abdomen are White spots. These are variable. The males are not similar. They have narrow abdomen and their legs are brown red. They make their web quite close to the ground. 
My spiders have all these characteristics. Still I am not sure, I have the right name.
All photos were taken in May. The couple were the first spiders, I saw. Later I have taken more photos.
In May 2011 I try to find more of these species.
About 7 mm.

    Foto's mei 2010

Dwarfspider (Erigonidae) Family dwarfspiders (Erigonidae) Also called subfamily of sheet weavers, money spiders (Linyphiidae).


This spider was about two mm. There are many species. From a photograph, they are not to determine.
The dwarfspider from 2011 was a little larger. It is an other species.

  
   Photo 15-11-2010   Photo 25-11-2011

Nigma walckenaeri  Family Dictynidae.

This green spider lives on leaves and is well camouflaged. The male has a reddish brown carapace.

As you can see on the photos it makes very fine cobwebs. From the curled leaves it makes a shelter by cobwebs.
The male stays with the female and there is no no danger, it is eaten by the female, like most other spiders. But when it dies, it is still eaten.

Length 3 - 5 mm.
Adults in August - Oktober. 
 

German: Grüne Lauerspinne, Grüne Kräuselspinne  

Daddy-long-legs spider, cellar spider or skull spider, vibrating spider,  house spider (Pholcus phalangioides) Family Pholcidae

The spider has got its name vibration spider, because it is shaking when it is threatened. 
Just like in our house you can vind this spider in most houses and barns. Often in dark places.
They make a rather messy web. Often near the ceiling. When the web is dirty, they make a new one. They don't eat their own web like many other spiders. My wife is not very happy with these webs.
The spider throws tough web material over the victim in the web until it is harmless.
The eggs are held together with a few wires. The female hold the eggs in her pedipalps

Body length females: about 9 mm. Males are slighty smaller. 

German: Große Zitterspinne French: Pholque phalangide

Window spider (Amaurobius fenestralis) or Amaurobius similis. Family tangled nest spiders, night spiders, hacklemesh weavers (Amaurobiidae)

Both species are quite similar. The Lace webbed spider you can  find in the house. The window spider usually is outside walls around windows, but also under bark and stones. The Lace webbed spider is often lighter.
On the abdomen, the window spider has two or three V-shaped spots. The Amaurobius similis usually has four spots. You can't see the spots very well on my photos.
This spider I found outside near the wall under a tile on the ground.

Length 7 to 12 mm

          Last two photos:  30-4-2010.  I found it in the pantry.

German: Finsterspinnen 

Housespider spec  (Tegenaria spec.) Genus Tegenaria.  Family funnel-web spiders (Agelenidae)
Probably a young dust spider or dustbunny spider (Tegenaria atrica).

The Tegenaria atrica  (like the other species) has no markings on the gray-brown legs.  
It lives in and near houses. In other countries it is living at cliffs, under rocks or in caves.
They make a horizontal, dense funnel web.  
By day it hides itself. "At night is it in his web. The eggs are laid in April. Young  spiders appear in May. The males don't live very long. The females, however can live up to six years.

Photo 25-4-2011 Males 15 mm, females 18 mm.   Common in Europe.

     Dust spider or dustbunny spider (Tegenaria atrica). Photos 3-7-2011

Spitting Spider (Scytodes thoracica) Family Spitting spiders (Scytodidae).

A light brown spider with a flecked pattern of dark spots.  The spider has long legs with dark rings. The thorax is larger than the abdomen. Unlike most spiders with eight eyes the Spitting spider has six eyes.
The silk, they spit is poisonous. In the head-thorax are silk glands, which are connected to venom glands. They also have silk glands in the body behind.
The females carry the egg mass under their body.
In the Netherlands they mainly are found in the houses, for the winters are too cold for them. Originally they live in southern Europe. 
Length 3 - 6 mm.

     Photo March 2010

German: Speispinne, Leimschleuderspinne  

Wolf spider spec. (Pardosa spec.) Family wolf spiders (Lycosidae)

The species can't be determined from a photo.
They are walking around in our garden in search of victims. Therefore they have a good vision.

The females carry their egg sacs by attaching them to their spinnerets.  When the young leave the sac, they stay on the abdomen of mother.
           With young spiders on the back,  Photo 6-8-2010: 

 Sometimes a wolf spider make a mistake. Here a female has a faded woodlouse as a cocoon.  Photo  30-8-2010                                            

German: Wolfspinne 

Pirate wolf spider spec. (Pirata spec.) Family wolf spiders (Lycosidae)

This spider was among the plants, I took away from the pond. The name "pirate" it owes to the fact that he lives in the water. They can walk on water. There are similar species.
Parate wolf spiders have a tuning fork figure on the carapace. 
The cocoon, you see here is waterproof.

Trochosa territcola or Trochosa spinipalpis Family wolf spiders (Lycosidae) Genus Trochosa 

In Europe there are four species. Trochosa terricola and Trochosa spinipalpis look very much alike. They hunt at night. By day they hide. This female, however, was in the sun on a leaf.

    Photos 18-4-2010

Nursery webspider, Pisaura mirabilis Family  Nursery web spiders (Pisauridae) 
In the Netherlands the only species of the family.

You can recognize a nursery web spider by the light triangular flaps besides the eyes and the light line on the head. The color is gray to brown.
They hunt on the plants. You often see them in the sun. Just like in these pictures. Then they look like a running crab spider.
For mating, the male offers the female an insect. The nest they make between the grass. 

Length 10 - 15 mm
   
German: Listspinne, Raubspinne oder Brautgeschenkspinne French: La pisaure admirable 

There is not much difference between these two species. The carapace is red brown, the abdomen is white-yellow, white-gray.
They feed on woodlice. With the elongated fangs it captures the woodlice.  (Between the segments of woodlice.)
In my garden they are under stones and wood.

Males 7 mm - 10 mm. Females 15 mm - 20 mm.
You can find these spiders almost anywhere in the world.

German: Kleine asseljäger (Dysdera erythrina) 

When I opened the water meter box (dry), I saw a few young spiders and an adult spider of the family Dysderidae. I thought, they were woodlous siders. Luckily I have send pictures to the forum "waarnemng.nl". There Jacomijn Prinsen told me, it was probably a Harpactea rubicunda. In the Netherland this species was never found!! Hopefully I find them again to be sure. 

  Photos 27-3-2011

The spider in the picture is still young.
You often find them among the leaves, under stones, or bark. They make at daytime a small web (a silken tube or sac), where they hide and sleep during the day. Such a sac they also use for the eggs
To hunt at night they use no web.
Length about 5 mm.

Photos below: In December a spider hanged on a wire in the kitchen. I've put it in a jar, to photgraph it the next day. The next day it sat under a spinning against the glass wall. I have awoken it for the photo. When I was finished, I have put it in the overwintering plants.

According Jacomijn Prinsen: It is a subadult male, in the spring it will molt to adult. Than it can be determined with the palp under the microscope. But I don't think, I will find it back.
Now it will be Clubiona spec.                       German: Sackspinnen

Buzzing spider  (Anyphaena accentuata) Buzzing spiders (Anyphaenidae)    

In the Netherlands it is the singel species of the buzzing spiders.  At night the buzzing spider hunts on the leaves of bushes and trees. On this photo the spider is sitting on the bamboo, which is designed for masonry bees to make nests in it. I am not really happy.
Under the leaves you can find cocoons with eggs, which are guarded by the females. The males are able to produce audible sounds by vibrating the abdomen against the leaves (for the females).
From light brown to grayish brown. They can be identified by the triangular dark spots on the rear body. And by the dark lateral bands on the carapace with light spots.
In winter they sit under the bark of dead trees.
Length 4 - 8 mm
Europe, Central Asia

Ph

To recognize by the green carapace and legs. A brown with yellow abdomen.
Males 4 mm, 6 mm females.
This spider was missing a leg, but it did not bother. If it is not an adult, it gets a new leg after molting. In dangerous situations, these spiders and many other spiders are able to drop a leg.

Crabspiders don't make a web, but they use spider silk as security thread. gh the air)    Photo: 21-10-09
The male Diaea dorsata has very long legs. Photo 16-5-2010

German: Grüne Krabbenspinne, Grünbraune Krabbenspinne

They can be found in the bushes and the lower part of trees. The female guards her cocoon with eggs.
There are twelve species Known in Europe. All very small spiders. Length 3 to 4 mm.

Photo 15-11-2010
  

Philodromus spec. Family Running Crab Spiders (Philodromidae)

What species it is, I can't say. It is able to run away sideways.
You often can  see them with spread legs close to a leaf.

German: Laufspinnen 

   Two other Philodromus spec. 

Philodromus dispar  Family Running Crab Spiders (Philodromidae)

This is the male. The male Philodromus dispar is black or dark brown with white edges.  
The female  is variable in colour. This would be the female spider with a Meal Moth (Pyralis farinalis). I only had seen the moth. I did not understand, why the moth flew away quickly. Until I looked at the photo.

About 5 mm.

     Last photo: female Philodromus dispar 15-11-2010

Philodromus aureolus Family Running Crab Spiders (Philodromidae)

This is a male. Thin palps. Males have a metallic sheen. This spider have a grey colour. Often it is grey with a purple sheen. Females and young spiders have no metallic sheen. (Tan - brown)

They can be confused with Philodromus cespitum and Philodromus buxi.
May-August
Males: 4 to 5 mm. Females: 4 to 7 mm
The young spiders overwinter.

   Photo 28-5-2010   Photo 30-5-2010 This spider is darker.
  

Zebra spider (Salticus scenicus) Family jumping spiders (Salticidae)

Zebra spiders are like the zebras black with white stripes of hairs. You can find it outside on the house walls in the sunshine. This spider can jump very well.
The four pairs of eyes are striking. In front of the head are two large and two small eyes. Above, it has two small eyes. They therefore have a good vision a very wide field of view.

In the Netherlands there are two other species. Namely Salticus cingulatus and Zebra Salticus nose.
They use a small white silk sac for hiding. The eggs are also laid in this sac. The adult spider overwinters.

Length 5 - 7 mm.
Widespread throughout Europe, northern Asia and North America 

Photos 30-4-2010 / 16-3-2011  
German: Zebraspringspinne  French: Saltique chevronné. 

Heliophanus spec. Subfamily Heliophanus Family jumping spiders (Salticidae)

A jumping spider. There are some similar Heliophanus species in the Netherlands. A nice small spider. I often see it early summer in the garden.

Similar species:  Heliophanus cupreus,  Heliophanus flavipes

  Photos 29-5-2010.  
 

    Photos 26-9-2010

Marpissa muscosa Subfamily marpissa Family jumping spiders (Salticidae)

It is a large jumping spider.
In the Netherlands it is a widespread spider.
Mostly on trees. But they also can be found on wooden posts and wooden walls. They are well camouflaged with dark brown markings on the light brown surface

Male 6 - 8 mm. Female 8 - 11 mm.   Palearctic.
German:  Rindenspringspinne 
  
           Photos 24-4-2011.   female Photos 15-5-2011

Euophrys frontalis Family jumping spiders (Salticidae)

Compared to the Marpissa muscosa the Euophrys frontalis is a tiny jumping spider. Around the eyes are red rings. The color is variable. There are light and dark spiders. The front legs are black.

Male 2 - 3 mm. Female 3 - 4 mm. 
Palearctic

       Photo 21-5-2011

Sitticus pubescens Family jumping spiders (Salticidae)

You can find it near the house on walls, on the trunk of trees and rocks (not in the Netherlands of course). This male was walking on the tiles of the terrace.

Male 4 mm. Female 4 - 5 mm. 
Europe, United States.

       Photo 3-6-2011    
German: Vierpunktspringspinnen 

In 2010 I will take more photos of harvestmen. They look like spiders.
Features: The two main body sections are grown together to an oval shaped body (difference with the spiders)  They also have no venom or silk glands. Usually they have a single pair of eyes. The second pair legs is the longest and works as antennae or sense organs.
Most species are maturing in late summer - hence their common name.
Most harvestmen are active during the night.
Harvestmen catch small insects and other small species, but they also eat the decays of any dead animal and all kind of plant material and fungi.
A leg (or legs) easily becomes detached from the body.  This is a  means of protection from predators. When detached, a leg will continue to twitch for some time. (sometimes even up to an hour)
They lay eggs in moist soil, under rocks or logs.

Red Harvestman, Opilio canestrinii  male. Photos 23-10-2009

 

Red Harvestman, Opilio canestrinii  female in the holly. Photos 13-12-2009

Striking is the difference in colour of the male between the orange body and the dark legs. (but yellow  "knees")
The legs of Opilio parietinus and Opilio saxatilis are less dark. They look like the Opilio canestrinii. 
The Opilio canestrinii has invated Europ fom the Apennines. Since 1993 it is found in the Netherlands. In England in 1999.  It lives on the walls. Other species at walls Opilio parietinus and Opilio saxatilis are wiped out by the Opilio canestrinii. Most likely the eggs and harvestmen are imported by transporting plants.
Body length males: 4 - 6 mm. Females: 5 - 8 mm. The female is yellowish brown to ocher. The legs has light and dark rings. The eggs are laid in autumn.
Adults June - December.  Thanks Arp Kruithof for your help.

A harvestman with fairly short legs. The adult overwinters.
Photo 13-9-2010 

A harvestman with very long legs (up to 5 cm).  In resting position the legs are stretched to the sides. It is also distinguished by the forked pedipalps.
Native to Morocco. (Discovered in 1909) In the Netherlands  it is discovered in 1992. Now it is a general harvestman. August to November. Photo 29-9-2010

A harvestman which can be recognized by the elongated spot on the back with two narrows. (Looks like Mitopus morio). The underside is light. Length 6 to 9 mm. May to November.
Native to Europe, Asia. But now they live also in North America and North Africa. 
Photo 25-9-2010

Photos 19-3-2011