Golden silk orb-weaver

A very interesting spider found here in the southeast and often referred to as the“banana spider”(a common name), is the golden silk orb-weaver (Trichonephila clavipes). These large spiders are especially common along forest edges, in moist woodlands, swamps, secondary dunes, and other areas where trees and shrubs provide sturdy places to anchor their webs. Their enormous, golden-colored webs can stretch several feet across and are often positioned a few feet above the ground, right where flying insects are likely to pass. Unlike many orb-weaving spiders that take down and rebuild their webs regularly, golden silk orb-weavers maintain their large webs over time, repairing them as needed.

The impressive web is an incredibly effective hunting strategy! Golden silk orb-weavers are generalist predators that capture a variety of flying insects, including flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, bees, and wasps. When an insect becomes tangled in the web, the spider bites and immobilizes it before bringing the prey back toward the hub of the web. By turning sunlight-powered landscapes into giant aerial insect traps, these spiders occupy an important niche as predators of flying insects and help move energy through the food web. Their webs can even become miniature ecosystems of their own, providing food for tiny “dewdrop” spiders that sneak in and steal leftover prey.

Golden silk orb-weaver!