Golden orb-webbed spider

About a year or so ago I encountered a Black-legged Golden Orb-Web Spider for the first time in the Zuurberg north of Port Elizabeth. These guys are real spiders. Not those thin legged little things that hide in your broom cupboard or under the sink, but things with the kind of look that scare little kids. Unfortunately you couldn’t see the golden colour of the web in any of the pictures.

On our last camping trip at Sleepy Hollow just outside Port Elizabeth I discovered this one sitting in his very clearly gold threaded web next to the river. Talk about striking gold.

This Post Has 7 Comments

  1. Marcelle

    Brilliant photography…yes u read right, me who likes posing for the camera thinks this is brilliant..

  2. Great photos though I am not a spider fan! I remember seeing large golden webs in the bush around Pretoria so I presume that this spider was the culprit. Diane

  3. Zane

    I have yet to see a spider like you have photographed Jonker. The closest that I have come to one is at a braai and it was so high in the thatch above my head that I could not get to within 10 centimetres of it for my camera to be effective.These are great photographs and the golden web is evident to me in both photographs. mmm I am a little jealous.

  4. Gaelyn

    These are great captures of “real” spiders. I think I saw some golden orbs when at Kruger with Joan. They tended to group up almost like in colonies and were Huge.

  5. You did capture that well Jonker!! They are a beautiful family of spiders.

  6. leilani

    Golden web?? WOW .. thats fairy tale stuff!! Love it !!

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