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Golden Silk Spider, Sat Down Beside Her |
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Monday, 01 October 2007 |
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Tropical Breeze Photo By Sue Suby
Just in time for Halloween, one of
Florida's larger and quite common spiders weaves its webs to snare
the unwary.
The University of Florida assures us it poses very
little danger to humans and will bite only if held or pinched. Also
known as a "banana spider," "golden orb weaver" or "calico spider,"
this orange and brown specimen with feathery tufts on its legs and
a body about one-inch long is a female. The male is tiny, only
1⁄8" long and drab.
Several males usually can be found in the
female's web, which can be several feet across and frequently is
strung from trees.
The webs and spiders are most commonly found in
the fall when it lays its eggs in sacs suspended in the web. The
silk of the web has a golden color and is so strong it has been
studied by scientists seeking to develop super-strong artificial
fabrics.
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