Zilia Orb Web Spider

It is widespread in western and central Europe as far north as Sweden. It has not been recorded from Ireland. The spider is found on tall heather, brambles, bushes and the lower branches of trees, usually in sheltered shady places and among scrub on cliffs by the coast. It occurs at the edge of clearings or rides in broad-leaved or mixed woodland, in old hedgerows, green lanes, scrub and sometimes gardens. Forestry plantations often provide suitable habitat, at least in their early stages when heather is still present. Immatures can be beaten out of scrub and hedgerows in late autumn but have also been found in litter at that time of year.