Araneidae (orb weavers)

The Golden Silk Orb-Weaver

Trichonephila clavipes

Mild

Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Family

Araneidae (orb weavers)

Size

Body 24–40 mm (female)

Region

Southern US, Central & South America

Habitat

Forest edges and clearings, spanning large webs between trees.

Overview

Spins enormous webs of shimmering golden silk. Large and dramatic, yet shy and reluctant to bite.

Standout fact

Its golden silk is among the toughest natural fibres known — stronger by weight than steel.

Parasteatoda tepidariorum

The spider you most often meet indoors. It builds tangled cobwebs in quiet corners and is completely harmless to people.

Latrodectus mactans

Glossy black with the unmistakable red hourglass. Its neurotoxic venom makes it the most medically significant spider in North America.

Loxosceles reclusa

A shy, reclusive hunter recognised by the dark violin shape on its back. Its cytotoxic venom can cause slow-healing wounds.

Phidippus audax

Charismatic, curious and fuzzy, with huge forward-facing eyes. It hunts by pouncing rather than building webs.