Golden Orb-Web Spider | de Wets Wild
The Golden Orb-web Spiders are some of the most impressive, and noticeable, arachnids you’ll encounter in South Africa. With a body length of up to 6cm and legspan of 10cm or more, female Golden Orb-Web Spiders are much larger than the males (whose bodies are usually less than a cm long), whom are often found sharing a web with a female. The web from which their name is derived is extremely large; often over a meter wide and straddling the space between adjoining trees, bushes and fenceposts, woven in a wagon-wheel shape with concentric strands and strong enough to entrap even small birds, though insects are their main target. Several such webs are often found in close proximity to one another. These diurnal spiders can deliver a painful bite, but the venom of the Golden Orb-Web Spiders is not harmful to humans.
From his position at the edge of her web, the male will attempt to approach the female and mate with her while she is consuming her prey, for fear of becoming a meal himself (which often happens). Female Golden Orb-Web Spiders produce up to four egg sacs annually, each containing hundreds of eggs that take about two months to hatch.
There is eleven species of this genus in Africa.
Golden Orb Web Spider (male)
This entry was posted in South African Wildlife and tagged Golden Orb-web Spider, Goue Wawielwebspinnekop, nature, Nephila, outdoors, wildlife on January 20, 2019 by de Wets Wild.
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35 thoughts on “Golden Orb-Web Spider”
aj vosse February 3, 2019 at 5:28 pm
Help die mannetjie nes bou of is hy te bang hy word opgevreet? 😉
Nee, hy hang maar aan haar nes rond en hoop sy wink hom nader 😉
naturebackin January 21, 2019 at 3:47 pm
The strength and complexity of the webs is astounding. I also like the stripy red and black legs! Its nice to see spiders being appreciated 🙂
de Wets Wild Post author January 21, 2019 at 5:33 pm
When they’re as charismatic as especially these long-legged ladies are, how could you not give them attention!?
Seeing a golden orb-web spider always brings me happy memories of my time as a student in the Hoedspruit area. Carefree, happy times.
naturebackin January 23, 2019 at 3:05 pm
rondomtaliedraai January 20, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Interessant en mooi foto’s soos altyd
de Wets Wild Post author January 21, 2019 at 3:49 am
Rainsinn January 20, 2019 at 4:39 pm
Beautiful captures ….😊❤️
de Wets Wild Post author January 21, 2019 at 3:48 am
neihtn2012 January 20, 2019 at 2:14 pm
Spiders have a bad reputation for many people. Hopefully posts like this one will enlighten them! This is a giant spider, compared to those I usually see.
de Wets Wild Post author January 20, 2019 at 2:19 pm
Thank you, Hien! The females of the Nephila genus really are impressive creatures, never to be forgotten once seen.
kathydoremus January 20, 2019 at 1:51 pm
Fascinating, and oddly beautiful!
de Wets Wild Post author January 20, 2019 at 2:07 pm
These spiders really are mesmerizing!
John January 20, 2019 at 11:56 am
Very beautiful picture of the spiders. They are very important in the nature, many people don’t think about that, they are most scared of them. We have only one poison spider in Sweden and it have very little poison so it don’t even harm healthy people at all. I never kill any spider I have indoors. I use to take them out, or just let them be. I have a giant house spider in my home. They are useful!
de Wets Wild Post author January 20, 2019 at 2:06 pm
I agree that they’re a very important part of the ecosystem, John, and people don’t realise that the world as we know it will collapse without spiders!
perdebytjie January 20, 2019 at 8:36 am
Spinnekoppe is van my gunsteling natuurwesentjies! Mense dink altyd ek is mal as ek sê my huis is ‘n welkome woonplek vir hulle. Dankie vir die mooi foto’s en inligting, Dries. Pragtig soos altyd!
de Wets Wild Post author January 20, 2019 at 2:04 pm
Ek moet erken na daai een my in my slaap op die lip gebyt het en twee nagte in die hospitaal en 6 maande op antibiotika in die sak gebring het is ek nie meer so verdraagsaam met hulle binne in die huis nie. Help hulle met die grootste graagte weer buite toe…
perdebytjie January 20, 2019 at 10:20 pm
Ek is darem selektief watter spinnekoppe ek toelaat…sakspinnekoppe, vioolspinnekoppe en knopies…waai vinnig by die deur uit!
Anne January 20, 2019 at 7:02 am
They are impressive creatures. It surprises me sometimes that people can walk under their webs without paying much attention to them.
de Wets Wild Post author January 20, 2019 at 2:02 pm
Astounding that some people can be so ignorant about the world around them, but on the other hand they may be arachnophobes that will kill such an enormous spider on sight, so perhaps it is better that way…
scrapydo2.wordpress.com January 20, 2019 at 4:34 am
Kan n mens spinnekoppe mis? Ek dink nogal so. Omdat ek nogal n buite mens is mis ek die besonderse spinnekoppe wat in SA is. Hier is nie rerig indrukwekkende spinnekoppe wat ek al teëgekom het nie. Hul is almal maar klein onbeduidende outjies.
de Wets Wild Post author January 20, 2019 at 5:52 am
Ek dink ons verstom onsself nogal aan die dinge wat n mens na spesiale plekke, mense en tye kan laat terug dink met tye! Veral wanner die wereld waar jy jou op daai punt bevind so drasties verskil van dit waarna jy terug verlang.
scrapydo2.wordpress.com January 23, 2019 at 6:44 am
Ja, mens se brein bly terugflits na die vorige ondervindings. Daar was n so-genaamde reënspinnekop. in die Bosveld. Hy sal net voor groot reën in die huis kom en dan , soos hul beweer, op die hoogte van die komende water horisontaal teen die muur beweeg. Dis nogal groot spinnekoppe. As jy so rustig sit en TV kyk en skielik trek jou oog die beweging en jy sien wat dit is is dit nogal grillerig. Sit n bottel oor en laat in die veld vry!
de Wets Wild Post author January 23, 2019 at 7:17 am
Ons ken die groot, plat reenspinnekoppe baie goed!
scrapydo2.wordpress.com January 23, 2019 at 10:06 am
Is maar bietjie grillerig maar mens weet hul is darem nie gevaarlik nie.
de Wets Wild Post author January 23, 2019 at 10:11 am
Soos ek in die onlangse verlede uitgevind het kan enige spinnekopbyt gevaarlik wees – n sekondere infeksie van die bytplek kan groot moeilikheid veroorsaak en teen die tyd wat ek my kursus klaarmaak sal ek 6 maande van antibiotika op my kerfstok he na n onbekende spinnekop my in my slaap aan die lip gebyt het!
scrapydo2.wordpress.com January 23, 2019 at 10:31 am
Sjoe dis nie lekker nie. Hoe het jy geweet dis n spinnekop? Ek weet my suster se dogter het perd gery en gedink dis n perdehaar wat in haar vel gesteek het . In tussentyd was dit n spinnekop wat haar gebyt het. Die plek het kan mens sê weggevrot en n hele gat ingeval agv spinnekop se byt. Hul het ook lank gesukkel om dit gesond te kry.
de Wets Wild Post author January 23, 2019 at 10:39 am
Dit is verskriklik wat met jou susterskind gebeur het, Ineke!
So 4 dae na dit gebeur het is ek in die hospitaal opgeneem en dit is daar waar die spinnekopbyt toe identifiseer is as die oorsaak.
scrapydo2.wordpress.com January 23, 2019 at 10:45 am
Dit was in Naboom gewees en die plaaslike dr het maar gesukkel om haar weer oor die ding te kry. Bly hul het uitgevind dis n spinnekop wat jou gebyt het. Ek is bv tweemaal deur n skerpioen gesteek. Tweede keer was erg. Hospitaal toe en toe is ek alergies vir die teengif. Bygesê dit was darem eeue gelede en ek dink teengif was dalk nog nie so gevorderd nie.
de Wets Wild Post author January 23, 2019 at 11:03 am
Bly jy’s nog hier om die storie te deel!
scrapydo2.wordpress.com January 23, 2019 at 11:19 pm
Ja, dis maar n gevoel wat nie lekker is nie. Was nogal oujaarsaand en die HF Verword hospitaal was vol van noodgevalle. Verdrinking, dronkbestuur en bakleiery. Was ook nie baie plesierig met al die beserings nie.
de Wets Wild Post author January 24, 2019 at 3:43 am
Beslis nie die manier wat n mens jou nuwe jaar wil begin nie!
scrapydo2.wordpress.com January 24, 2019 at 3:57 am
Beslis nie. My ouers was baie bekommerd gewees. Ons het omtrent tot middernag daar gesit.
Reflections of an Untidy Mind January 20, 2019 at 1:31 am
de Wets Wild Post author January 20, 2019 at 5:53 am