Banana Spider (Nephila clavipes) 13 November 2015. PN Cayo Guillermo, Ciego de Ávila, CU

This species also goes by the name Golden Silk Spider. This is a female. Males are much smaller and lack the bright colors on the abdomen. A Palm Warbler (Setophaga palmarum) was caught in the web of this large orb-weaving spider. The warbler struggled free while we were watching. In Australia Nephila spiders have been known to feed on small birds and even snakes which may get trapped in their webs.

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
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