Striking characteristics of Pisaura mirabilis are its long legs (the fourth pair being the longest) and its slender abdomen (opisthosoma).

The prosoma (cephalothorax) is variable in color, ranging from light to reddish brown and from gray to black.

The female spiders has a dark patch (epigyne) on the underside of her abdomen that includes the copulatory organs.

Male spiders exhibit a stronger contrast than females and appear black, especially when compared to the white nuptial gifts.

These spiders inhabit the Canary Islands and Madeira, the Asian part of Russia, China and North Africa.

Once leaving the cocoon through an opening, they live in a protective web made by the mother, where they feed on the leftover yolk from their eggs and drink from water droplets.

The period of hibernation (diapause) is spent in ground vegetation under leaves, moss, and stones.

The nymphs in stages 6 to 8 start hibernating in November and continue with their development towards the end of February to the beginning of March.

Pisaura mirabilis in Western and Central Europe reach sexual maturity in May, when sperm uptake, the search for females, offering of nuptial gifts, and courtship and mating takes place.

They grow in summer, hibernate in winter, reach adulthood in spring, and reproduce and then die in autumn.

At this time, the male may feign death – his limbs become straight and he is dragged along with the female while holding on to the gift.

[12][13] Predators of Pisaura mirabilis includes spider wasps, tree frogs, lizards, and song birds during the day, and toads, shrew mice, and bats at night.

[citation needed] Baculoviridae and Rickettsia species infect nursery web spiders, as well.