Araneus quadratus Araneus quadratus Araneus quadratus, the four-spot orb-weaver, is a common orb-weaver spider found in Europe and Central Asia, and as far as the Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan. Females can reach 17 mm in length, especially when gravid, males approximately half that. They are quite variable in appearance, ranging from brown to bright orange or green, but they always have the characteristic four white spots on the abdomen. The darker color morphs are easiest to identify, due to the contrast between the white spots and the rest of the body. The legs are sometimes brightly striped. The spider lives in gardens,
European nightcrawler and are pale yellow at first, becoming more brownish as the worms inside become mature. These cocoons are clearly visible to the naked eye. European nightcrawler The European nightcrawler, Eisenia hortensis or "Dendrobaena veneta", is a medium-small earthworm averaging about 1.5 grams each when fully grown. Generally blueish, pink-grey (cf. Latin "veneta" meaning "sea-blue") in color with a banded or striped appearance, the tips of their tails are often cream or pale yellow. When the species has not been feeding, it is pale pink. These worms are usually found in deep woodland litter and garden soils that are rich in