Spider

I discovered a distinctive spider crawling around the outside of the utility room window today. This proved to be Zygiella x-notata, sometimes referred to as the Winter Spider. This is quite a typical habitat for this species, being one of the few species to be found active in the winter months.

Zygiella x-notata

The pale leaf like pattern on the front of the thorax helps to identify this species. There is a very similar species, Zygilla atrica. This species is typically found in open habitats, particularly heathland, and is found in the late summer and autumn.