[mloversia]

Saw this girl today .. she is minus a leg or two, but seems to be doing well .She is very pretty .

[hablyShappY]

Gorgeous! I love golden orb-weavers.

Did you see any males or dewdrop spiders on the web as well? The males are much, much smaller and hang around at the edge of the web. The dewdrop spiders (Argyrodes) are also small and have domed abdomens that look as though they're made of silver foil. They're 'klepotoparasites', helping themselves to trapped insects too meagre to make a meal for the web-owner.

[HawksBurnDown]

She's a good size. Strange as it seems I could hardly walk around my yard last year for these webs. This year nothing much to talk about.

[mloversia]

Gorgeous! I love golden orb-weavers.

Did you see any males or dewdrop spiders on the web as well? The males are much, much smaller and hang around at the edge of the web. The dewdrop spiders (Argyrodes) are also small and have domed abdomens that look as though they're made of silver foil. They're 'klepotoparasites', helping themselves to trapped insects too meagre to make a meal for the web-owner.

There two males scurrying about , yes I didn't notice the dewdrop ones, but shall look next time, thanks!

[mloversia]

She's a good size. Strange as it seems I could hardly walk around my yard last year for these webs. This year nothing much to talk about.

This year there seem more really gold ones .... I always worry they'll get sprayed or their bushes will get pruned :/ They are just so beautiful

[hablyShappY]

I didn't notice the dewdrop ones, but shall look next time

They don't look like much until you see them up close. Definitely worth a look!

[mloversia]

..and, after showing that pic to someone, I learnt an interesting fact In the South Pacific, the silk/thread is used in the making of fishing lines and nets !

[warrgazur]

From my observations, the web of the Golden Orb Spider does not become golden until she matures into an adult. Anyone else noticed this?

[HawksBurnDown]

From my observations, the web of the Golden Orb Spider does not become golden until she matures into an adult. Anyone else noticed this?

Yes. She goes through several stages as she matures and isn't until the height of summer has passed that you see the truly golden webs.

[Buincchotourbss]

..and, after showing that pic to someone, I learnt an interesting fact In the South Pacific, the silk/thread is used in the making of fishing lines and nets !

Could be remembering wrong but northern Aboriginies did too. I am not suprised though they have caught me a few times in the past.
Just wondering how many legs they could loose before it becomes a problem. would have thought 4 would have been a minimum.

[HawksBurnDown]

Could be wrong but i think it was Vincent Serventy who said that the golden orb web strand was strong enough to knock your hat off without breaking.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-2...n-show/3791928

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/spider-silk/

[Buincchotourbss]

Certainly felt like I got string up Saw those images from the old SGum. worth seeing again though. Colour seems amazing. But lets not start the arachniphobia thread again I think it was worst when I was ridding a bike and ended up covered in the stuff and never sure where the spider was!!! Looks over shoulder....

[HawksBurnDown]

Nephila are harmless to humans.

[LsrSRVxR]

'morning all,

I also don't see many of the grand Golden Orb spiders any more (change of location has little habitat). Here is a picture I took a couple of years ago of a male trying to take advantage of a female while she is recovering from moulting. Notice the swollen bulb on the tiny male's pedipalps, and notice also, the screw-like extension on the end of the palp that is used to gain access to the female genital opening.

[mloversia]

Nice photos, RB & HV ! I must have another look round,as there are several big webs with smaller females in .No really big ones.

[HawksBurnDown]

more here binjy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9955998...7624248791559/

[mloversia]

Here are some more

LINK
LINK
LINK

[zoppereurvito]

last year I noticed a couple of good webs and spiders (one was hard to miss, head-level next to my place, memory needed at night).

This year I've noticed zero*





*may not have been paying attention

[mloversia]

Today, I saw a 'condominium' ... 5 'young' females , all living within about 30-50 cm from each other..and the webs forming like a big cube ...couldn't get a decent photo though....

[suilusargaino]

I was wondering why they all seemed to have gone missing..

I'm thinking when moisture was scarce they stay closer to
established lawns & gardens with the promise of more insects.
But with the rains, that have brought an abundance of bugs
they seem to have distributed themselves further afield.

Good strategy if you think about it, more offspring needing
more room to set up housekeeping on their own while the
good times last. The increased number will assure survival
of at least the most successful when the lean times return.