Golden silk spider, Nephila clavipes
(Araneae: Tetragnathidae)

This spider is commonly referred to as the banana spider because of its yellow body color. Male and female spiders of this species are totally different in appearance. Males are substantially smaller, quite slender and dark reddish brown in color. Females have a silvery head area, a cylindrical-shaped, orange-colored abdomen with yellow spots and long orange and brown legs with feathery tufts of black hairs.

The webs of these spiders are found at the edges of forest clearings and along forest trails. Webs are semi-permanent structures as they do not take them down at night and rebuild them during the day like other orbweavers. The webs of immature golden silk spiders also may have a zigzag pattern located at the center.

Late in the fall, females deposit at least two egg sacs, each consisting of several hundred eggs surrounded by a basket of yellow silk.

The golden silk spider is distributed in various habitats throughout the United States and feeds on various insects and other small arthropods.

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Adult golden silk spider, Nephila clavipes.
(Photographer: James Castner, University of Florida)

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