Golden Orb Spiders seem to prefer to spin their webs near forest trails.
A golden orb spider, also known as a golden orb weaver, is a member of the genus Nephila that spins golden webs. These spiders are found in many parts of the world, mainly in tropical and subtropical climates. They come in a variety of colors, patterns, and sizes. Females are generally larger than males and tend to stay in the center of their web. They remain in or near their webs throughout their lives, feeding on their prey and mating.
The golden spider is mainly found in tropical and subtropical climates.
The golden spider’s range includes parts of Australia, Africa, Asia, South America, Central America, and North America. They generally prefer open woodlands, forest trails, and coastal scrub, as these environments provide them with abundant prey and space to weave their webs. They avoid the denser parts of tropical rainforests and old growth forests.
Golden orb spiders display a wide range of colors depending on the individual species. Colors range from yellow or red to grey, black and brown. Some have markings on the dorsal sides or legs, such as a combination of black or brown and yellow stripes. Golden orb spiders have elongated bodies. Females are much larger than males, with some species measuring up to 2.5 inches (about 6 centimeters).
The golden web is unique among spider species for its color and structure. They can stretch up to 6 feet (1.82 meters) in diameter, are a bright golden yellow in color, and are thicker in the lower half. The top half near the top of the web, called the center, is where the female waits for prey and the males of the golden spider to breed. They spend most of their time in the web and rely on smaller spider species to remove debris from the web.
While most of the prey caught in the golden orb web consists of flies, moths, and other insects, the larger webs can sometimes catch small birds and bats. Golden orb spiders bite their prey before covering it with silk and bringing it to the top of the web to eat. Other species of spiders and some species of birds and insects sometimes steal prey from the golden orb web.
Male golden orbs remain on the outer edges of a female’s web during mating season and await an opportunity to reproduce. The female wraps her eggs in silk and carries them to a protected area. After about 30 days, the eggs hatch and the chicks remain in the egg sac until they molt. They usually leave the web about a month later.