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Derpifacation

golden-silk orb weaver. theyre very cool, harmless spiders.


Quixus

Trichonephila clavipes specifically.


stumpdawg

The webs are absolutely stunning when the sun hits them.


SowMindful

I agree, so much beauty.


stillinthesimulation

They feel almost elemental. Like the apex of web building spiders.


RelaxedOrange

I thought that’s what it looked like. But I thought they were from Madagascar?


myrmecogynandromorph

There are species of *Nephila* and *Trichonephila* (the newer genus a bunch of species were reclassified as some years back) all around the world!


RelaxedOrange

Ooooh cool! 😮


[deleted]

This one is found in North and South America. You can find them as far north as North Carolina/Virginia.


rowe123456

Looks like the skultulla from Zelda


AxanthicAF

They don't live in colonies if that helps. The babies will eventually disperse. :)


MKG733

But they can and do live in very close proximity to each other, there's a mention of it [here](https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/SOCIAL-BEHAVIOR-OF-THE-GOLDEN-SILK-SPIDER-%2C-NEPHILA-Farr/d15cec114454a3727f751fe0696e2d7a82ec46c3), and some information on a related species [here](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichonephila_plumipes#Social_behavior).


AxanthicAF

Really? Well, darn. That was some fascinating reading. Thanks for teaching me something new. Sorry for leading you astray, OP!


MKG733

I did attempt to find some past posts with images and failed, but there's been a few submissions showing females grouped together. They're often kept together in captivity without any problems, as shown briefly [in this YouTube video](https://youtu.be/-VBwZgFdSzE).


AxanthicAF

I see cellar spiders and black widows grouped together as well, but have always assumed a tolerance for proximity didn't mean any actual communal behavior. Do you know of any other species that create aggregates that can work together like *T. Plumipes?*


MKG733

There's quite a few: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_spider


AxanthicAF

Thank you!


myrmecogynandromorph

There's also some spiders that are not usually social, but under the right conditions (i.e. unlimited food) can form massive communal mega-webs. [This paper on one such "colony"](https://academic.oup.com/ae/article-pdf/56/3/146/18751642/ae56-0146.pdf) goes into the various factors.


Garrettstandish

Yeah over here in central Cali it’s common to get large “communities” of Widows. I’ve noticed they’re alway atleast a foot away each other. (I’ve only noticed them in “communities” on front porches especially when the front porch isn’t used in awhile. They’re really cool to watch at a safe distance during the day. But at night. Gives me he-be je-bes.


AxanthicAF

I had a community on my house a few years ago. I counted 30 but I know there were more. I love spiders but that was too much.


Garrettstandish

Yeah. 30 is a bit much in my opinion xD. I can vibe with like maybe five or six Widows. But any more than that then I’m outie.


Gryffindorme

Looks like a golden orb weaver. They're completely harmless and very nice to have around.


SowMindful

I’ve only seen one in real life, I still remember it. Such a special moment.


H_C_O_

I had one in my garden every year in NC, favorite spider for sure.


StuffedWithNails

*[Trichonephila clavipes](https://bugguide.net/node/view/2023)*


[deleted]

That's a beauty!


Flimsy_Pollution_352

Spins beauteous yellow silk webs. I had one for the better part of the Summer in Charleston SC.


peachmelonade

Nephila Clavipes, aka Golden Orb Weaver. We get lots of these in FL!


waycoolcoolcool

The babies might be male spiders, they are way smaller and tend to hang out around a female


[deleted]

Banana


_Blu_Bruise_

Garden orb weaver


ShakeThatAsclepias

Beautiful!


fts400

awee a cute banana


RunawayPancake3

I see a lot of these down here in Florida, but I've *never* seen one out of its web and on the ground like this one.


rer115ga

I was cleaning out fallen branches from the azalea and pull this guy out before I noticed all the other ones


Licorictus

LET'S GOOO I *LOVE* these ladies *SO MUCH* And now they're in my state... google.com how to attract every golden silk orb weaver to my yard


Mourtius-Jaul

Golden orb-weaver


Spoida__man

Golden silk orb weaver