Lucienne? Don't Look. Trust me.

[lagilman]

For those of you who are not spider-phobic, a close-up of the spider who has been guarding my house from mosquitos and other crunchy bites.
He's lovely and fierce, but a little unnerving. Anyone know what he is? And we have a winner! European garden spider (Araneus diadematus, cross spider)




(click the pic for a close-up. And yes, he's outside the window and the storm screen, not inside. If he were inside I'd have made him go outside, post-haste)

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

>What was Christ's web supposed to have done? I know medically they're often used to staunch bleeding, but didn't they have enough linen around to take care of that? (I know, I know, don't fuss at the legend, Gilman, it's not there to make sense...)

I think I've got details somewhere but can't find them, as usual. IIRC, it was indeed something to do with staunching bleeding. Will keep looking and let you know...(It's a bit like the legend of why donkeys have got crosses on their backs, because one of them carried Jesus - hey, it's got a cross! Weird. Better explain it, quick).