PREGNANT ARANEUS DIADEMATUS and CRANEFLY

I was looking for autumn raspberries among the 'Polka' raspberry canes this afternoon and jumped a bit when I came across a rather big female Araneus diadematus.  I think she was just as startled as I because she was still for such a long time that I began to think she was dead.  She even allowed me some macro photographs without so much as a wriggle.  When I gently blew the web to disturb her, make her move, she clambered up and hid out under a raspberry leaf.  Unfortunately for her, I turned the leaf and took a few more shots.  Now, this might sound like nothing much to you but I suffer from arachnophobia.  Not as much as I once did, I'm getting braver, but if she had run from the leaf and up my arm, I think my new Canon EOS 6D could have got smashed in the mayhem as I went screaming around the garden! 

Female Araneus diadematus - about 1.5cm with legs folded up

I know that spiders do not have mouthparts like humans (or eyes, for that matter) but this Araneus looks to be sticking a pink tongue out at me.  What exactly is that?   If I find out, I shall let you know. 



Below, she is clearly heavily pregnant and I feel a bit guilty now for disturbing her. 

Female Araneus diadematus on a raspberry leaf

Also known as the 'Cross' spider because of the white cross on its back. 

Just after I'd taken the photographs an unfortunate cranefly landed on the web.  It saddened me to see the fly struggling for release but I thought of how good spiders are in my garden, eating so many aphids, and so I left the fly to its fate. I didn't feel so benevolent though when a baby bumblebee landed on the web immediately afterwards but it managed to get away before I felt compelled to interfer.  No way could I allow a spider to kill a bee.  Not on my watch!

Cranefly on Araneus diadematus spider's web