Golden Silk Orb-Weaver
The golden silk orb-weaver, deductively known as Trichonephila clavipes, has a place with the family Trichonephila. It is also known as banana silk spider or banana spider. They are potentially the world’s biggest orb-weaver species found in the US. Their bite is less harmful. Moreover, their silk is believed to be multiple times stronger than steel. Golden silk orb-weaver spiders are sexually dimorphic, and females have distinct shading and are bigger than guys.
Golden Silk Orb-Weaver Facts
| Size | 7.6 cm in length for females and 1/4 of it length for males |
| Color | Reddish and greenish yellow shading |
| Diet | flies, beetles, locusts, wood moths, and cicadas |
| Lifespan | 1 & 1/2 year in wild,2 years in captivity |
| Distribution | Found in lowland forest of southern region such as Florida, Panama, Texas |
Physical appearance & Identification Traits
1. Size
Male golden silk orb weaver size is quite small (up to 1/4 inch) compared to females, which can develop to become 7.6 cm (3 inches) long, excluding the legs.
2. Color
The golden silk orb weaver spiders vary from reddish to greenish-yellow in shading, depending on the species, with a distinct whiteness at the start of the mid-region, as also in the cephalothorax area.
3. Web
The yellow silk of the golden silk orb weaver spider’s web gives the golden orb its name. The silk looks brilliant when it sparkles in the sun, and the webs are incredibly mind-boggling. They can weave the web as wide as one meter across.
The spider begins by building a non-sticky spiral and afterward fills in the holes with sticky silk. The banana spider can change the shade of the web to amplify its effectiveness in terms of light and color. The web needs regular maintenance to make sure the prey falls into the trap.
4. Eggs
The females of the golden silk orb-weaver species lay their eggs in clusters during the fall. They lay their eggs near to the place where the female has its web like a building structure or near a tree. It lays at least two large sacs each with a diameter of 25 to 30 mm, that contains a few hundred eggs.
lifespan
These golden silk orb weaver spiders lifespan is up to one and a half years in the wild. If kept in captivity can have a lifespan of up to two years
Habitat
These golden silk orb weaver spiders live in dry open forests, coastal sand dune shrubland, and mangrove habitats. Weaving webs that are on a slight incline when compared to other orb-weavers webs.
Preys and predators
Golden silk orb-weaver prey items include flies, beetles, locusts, wood moths, and cicadas. At times their solid webs figure out how to trap little birds or bats, and then the spider will wrap them and feed upon them. The major predators are birds, but wasps and damselflies also prey upon smaller juveniles.
Distribution
The golden orb weaver can be found in lowland forests from the southern regions of Florida and Texas down through Panama.
Does Golden Silk Orb Weaver Spider Bite and If They’re Poisonous?
The important question usually asked is Golden silk orb weaver spiders are poisonous? The short response is yes. The venom is like that of a dark widow spider but nowhere near as strong and not fatal under normal circumstances. A bite will normally cause side effects like redness, blisters, and pain. These side effects will typically disappear following a day or so.
Bite Treatment
- Use soap and lukewarm water to keep the bite area clean.
- To reduce the risk of infection apply antibiotic ointment.
- To reduce the irritation apply aloe vera gel.
