What kind of spider is this??

[Cyanea]

Saw it in Portugal:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/cyanea/deconocidaportugal.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/cyanea/deconocidaportugal2.jpg

here you can see better the web:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/cyanea/deconocidaportugaltelaraa.jpg

thanks!

[calum]

Looks to be a "Thorn spider" species. I think.

[jsloan]

Just a couple of questions:

Does the picture of the web show its actual angle with respect to the ground?

Also, about what size (body length) was this spider?

[Erigo]

Araneidae, Cyrtophora citricola (the unique species of this genus in Europe) :)

[Cyanea]

Thanks!!!! Never thought it'd be an araneid since that doesn't look like an orb web...

About your questions:

Yes, if I remember right the picture does show the actual angle of the web with respect to the ground

And I think the spider was about 1 or 1.5cm without legs, there were spiders of different sizes so i'm not sure about this one

[Dark Raptor]

I saw the same specie in Greece two years ago. I should have some pictures with spider and its web somewhere on my computer, I should upload them tomorrow.

The first thing that noticed my attention was the web. For the first time in my life I saw something like that. These webs look much different from these build by "normal" orb-webs. It was more "tent-like" with straight, vertical column made of silk and spiders' preys remians. Very spectacular view.

[edited] As I promised. Pictures taken in August 2007, Crete.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/4307/dsc4144qz2.jpg

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/2449/dsc3457md2.jpg

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/20/dsc3455pi6.jpg