Golden Silk Spider (Banana Spider)

Golden Silk Spider is also commonly called the Banana Spider, and the scientific name is Nephila clavipes. These are Southern spiders and autumn is the time they are maturing, growing to their adult size, and consequently attracting more attention. The female spider is often 100 times larger than her diminutive mate who usually lives on the periphery of her web. About 100 years ago there were experiments in using the silk of this spider, which is very strong, in textiles. It proved cost prohibitive.
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