Wasp Mimic

I first saw and photographed a wasp spider at Fishers Green in 2013, having been told about them by fishermen who had seen them further south. They were first recorded in the UK, having originated in the Mediterranean, in Rye in 1922. I saw a couple at Panshanger in 2020. 

I was very excited to find this harmless female orb weaving spider in my front garden this afternoon. My no mow summer long grass suits her. She let me get very close. I watched as she darted to the edge of her web to grab a fly and returned to the centre of the web to eat it. The males are much smaller and often get eaten after mating.

The image on the left is the dorsal view and part of the zig-zag structure in the web called the stabilimentum can be seen. It wasn't known what the function of this was but I've recently read that it reflects UV light which attracts flies, bees and moths.