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Spider Photos - Golden Silk Orbweaver (2008/2009) |
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Here's some photos of
Golden Orb Weavers. In the US they call this nephila species
Golden Silk Weavers and call the Black and Yellow Argiope a golden orb
weaver, which is a bit confusing. In Australia they are called
just Golden Orb Weavers.
Golden silk orb weavers were moved from the Araneidae
family (orbweavers) into the Tetragnathidae (longjawed orbweavers) a
few years ago. Nephila clavipes is the only species in the
Nephila genus that exists in the US. The venom of the golden silk orb-weaver is
powerful, but not lethal to humans. Its venom is a neurotoxin similar to that of the black widow; however, its venom is not nearly as powerful. Its bite
can cause local pain and redness with blisters forming. This bite usually resolves within 24 hours except for the bite mark.
They are not considered dangerous to humans, with most bites being less
painful than a bee sting, but are a great nuisance to people walking in
the bush with their strong yellow sticky webs. The
webs are made in open woods or edges of dense forest, usually
attached to trees and low shrubs, although they may be in the tops
of trees or between the wires of phone or electricity lines. Their
prey consists of a wide variety of small to medium-sized flying insects,
including flies, bees, wasps, and small moths and butterflies.
Please select a section. |
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NEPHILA |
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Reply: This is a golden orb
weaver.
17 May, 2009:
Hi Glen/Pro, I went to the Sydney Fish Market today, and
saw a spider there, due to my camera problems, I believe it
wouldn't be so easy to identify. As I have been browsing your
website, I think it is from the orb weaver or that sort? First I
thought it was a Brown Widow, but then I noticed that Brown
Widows don't spin webs AND it did not have an hour glass shape,
and it didn't have the right pattern. Thanks! Kay (10) |
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Reply: These are golden orb weavers. You can see the
small male in the left photo.
24 April, 2009:
Hi Glen
Found your site via Google and was hoping you could help with identifying the spider that has taken up residence in our garden. We live in Cape Town, South Africa, and found this specimen after a weekend away.
We have a two year old daughter, and want to find out if we can leave the spider where he is, or if we should take it to the reptile farm or another garden.
Thanks for your help – look forward to hearing from you.
Claire |
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Reply: Thanks, some nice photos
of a golden orb weaver. The smaller spider is the male.
17 March, 2009:
Hi Glen.I went to your web site accidently to be honnest. I have comeback recently from capetown, and i have taken few nice photographies that i thought would be nice to share with someone who is this much fascinated with spiders. Regards Pawel.
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larger view. |
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17 March, 2009:
Hi
I stumbled across your website while trying to identify a spider, I took the
photo in Kwazulu Natal - South Africa at a friends wedding, there were
several of these spiders (some more black than yellow), some were bigger
than my hand and the webs were between tress strectching several metres
across. Can you tell me what it is?
Thanks
Wesley
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larger view. |
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Reply: This is another South
African version of the golden orb weaver.
4 March, 2009:
Hi Glen
Found your site via Google and was hoping you could help with identifying the spider that has taken up residence in our garden. We live in Cape Town, South Africa, and found this specimen after a weekend away.
We have a two year old daughter, and want to find out if we can leave the spider where he is, or if we should take it to the reptile farm or another garden.
Thanks for your help – look forward to hearing from you.
Claire |
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Reply: They are the South
African version of the golden orb weaver.
4 March, 2009:
Dear Glen,
In South Africa in the North-West Province near the town of Brits, many of these spiders spin their webs across the footpaths in the veld. Are they typically South African, or the same as the USA and Australian. |
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23 January, 2009:
Hi Glen,
I love your web site! I've had no luck in identifying this spider we saw in the rain forest in Costa Rica.
Thanks!
Penny
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22 November, 2008:
Hello Glen,
I have been looking at your site and am just amazed by how many different spiders there are! One of my students went to Komodo Island and took a picture of this spider. When he showed it to me I found it rather amazing. (but then again there are many amazing spiders) and had asked the student if he knew it's name and if it were dangerous. There are many dangerous critters on Komodo Island.
Would you be able to tell me what kind of spider it is?
Thank you for your help.
I am going to go back and look at some more pictures.
Click for a
larger view.
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24/10/08:
BREAKING NEWS EXCLUSIVE:
The man who took the amazing photos of a spider eating a bird on the Tableland, west of Cairns, has been found. The images caused a media frenzy and sped around the world.
A 75-year-old retired Tableland man, amateur photographer and bird enthusiast, took the pictures that sparked an international media frenzy yesterday in his Tableland back yard, near Cairns, last week.
"It was an awful thing. The spider was just chewing into it's head," he told The Cairns Post.
"The spider's head was going up and down, and it was gouging into him (the chestnut-breasted manikin) at the top of his beak. It was still wrapping it up.
"And then the spider just left it. It was like it was too big or something," the man said.
Spider experts said yesterday the photographs showed the orb injecting venom into the stunned bird.
But the photographer maintained that what he saw was a dead bird.
The photos were originally sent around via an email and, when picked up by Cairns.com.au, the story travelled all the world via the internet.
Cairns.com.au has received over 500,000 page views for the Spider Eating Bird story and photo gallery and have received comments from as far afield as Texas and New Jersey in America and from the UK.
The story has obviously captured the world's imagination. |
THIS amazing image of a mammoth spider devouring a bird was taken in the backyard of a property near Cairns.
The image, which is being circulated via email worldwide, is real, according to wildlife experts, The Cairns Post reported.
The photo, believed to have been taken earlier this week, shows the spider clenching its legs around a lifeless bird trapped in a web at a property near Atherton, west of Cairns.
Joel Shakespeare, the head spider keeper at NSW's Australian Reptile Park, has told ninemsn the spider was a golden orb weaver.
"Normally they prey on large insects, it's unusual to see one eating a bird," he said.
Mr Shakepeare said he had seen golden orb weaver spiders as big as a human hand but the northern species in tropical areas were known to grow larger.
Mr Shakespeare told ninemsn the bird, a chestnut-breasted mannikin which appears frozen in an angel-like pose in the pictures, is likely to have flown into the web and got caught.
"It wouldn't eat the whole bird," he said.
Photos copyright 75 year old man, stories Cairns Post & News.com.au |
23 October, 2008:
Hello,
Can you tell me what this? Do they occur in Western Australia?
Amazing photo – it has my accounts staff terrified.
Marc
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15 June, 2008:
Could you please identify this little creature that I stumbled on the other day on Magnetic Island.
Hopefully
Geoff
Click for a
larger view.
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10 May, 2008:
Greetings! I have found your site to be very helpful and
informative. Thank you for your devotion to this subject. I was
once attacked by a mouse spider in a new house that I bought
which had sat empty for awhile. I was able to identify it from
your site. I had to remove it myself as it had scared the pest
control man away. Spiders have always been more of a
concerne to me than a fascination because I am an avid outdoors
man and spend much of my time in "their" world. Fortunately I've
had many opportunities to observe them at a safe distance and
usually sleep safely inside of a tightly closed tent (mostly
because I hate mosquitos). I have only been bitten by spiders
while sleeping inside of houses actually. Nothing too serious.
My wife says that I am "thick skinned" and probably made the
spiders sick. I can usually identify most spiders I see but have
recently traveled to Santa Cruz, Bolivia and have come across a
rather large area infested with these. (see attached) They are
huge. The legs span 4" inches or more and the body is about 2"
long. Their webs average 2'-3' feet in diameter but span the
distance between trees in many cases. Are they
venomous/dangerous? I have a one year old son who likes to
wander and need to know if he would be in danger. I have also
seen them in trees and bushes near a popular restaurant along a
path that many people travel. Should I say something to the
owner about them? They are beautiful and I've stopped to admire
them but remain wary. In nature the most beautiful of creatures
often prove to be the most dangerous. Please write me back
to me here if you can make an identification. Thanks again in
advance for your time and efforts. Sincerely, William |
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4 March, 2008:
Hi. I took a picture of a spider when I was
in Ocho Rios last week.
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20 February, 2008:
Good Day I was just wondering if you could please tell me what kind
of spider this is? I live in Cape Town, South Africa and I came
across this spider in our garden. It has a huge web and has
grown over the past week. This is the closest I could get to it
without damaging its web. I am very interested to find out more
about it and if its harmful? Our dog is in the same area has it
and I'm scared it may bit her. I look forward to your reply,
Kindest Regards,
Kerry
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