NURSERY-WEB SPIDER

any member of the family Pisauridae (order Araneida), noted for the female spider's habit of making webs for the young and standing guard near the nursery web. Most species are medium to large in size; many are found near the water. Members of the genus Dolomedes, the most common North American genus, sometimes have a leg spread of 7.5 cm (3 inches). The female spider carries her egg sac, which contains a few hundred eggs, until the young spiders are almost ready to emerge. She then attaches the sac to a plant, wraps leaves about it, and remains to guard the young from predators.