Spiders of North Carolina

Arachnids of North Carolina

Order:
Scientific Name: Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

Trichonephila clavipes - Golden Silk orbweaver Nephilidae Members:			NC Records	BugGuide Account	Public View

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Male

Immature

Distribution Records
PDF

Vetting Levels

Adult phenology:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge

synonym

Nephila clavipes

taxonomic_comments

species_comment

id_comments

Female has elongated yellow-orange abdomen with white spots and prosoma covered in white hairs. Male orange with black mottling. Legs with orange and black bands.

total_length

Size of female 19-34 mm, male 5-8 mm.

structural_features

silk_web

Female make a large (up to seven feet) orb web 2-20 feet off the ground that is a golden color. Beside the main web may be one or more barrier webs which protect her from predators. The large web lasts longer than most orb webs being repaired as needed. Most orb weavers remove and rebuild webs daily.

fld_guide_descriptions

online_photos

prey

Small flying insects - flies, beetles, moths etc. - are caught in the web. The spider incapacitates them by biting. Wrapped prey is brought back to the hub of the web, which is usually off-center in the structure. This central storage of food may be a strategy to reduce theft by the kleptoparasitic Argyrodes.

predators

behavior

Adults mature in through summer and fall. Several males may be courting in one female’s web.

distribution_reference

technical_reference

adult_id

1 identifiable by photo 2 identifiable by photo of specific features and/or supplementary info 3 identifiable from specimen only

abundance

Common to infrequent around edge or range. Common in core of range, infrequent around edges of range as they “range” inland.

distribution_comments

Coastal plain of the southeast, and moist forested habitat inland.

checklist_mt_high
>=4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom	Frequency Regular – almost always observed on given visit; >=90% chance of observation Frequent – usually observed on a given visit; >=50%<90% chance of observation Infrequent – observed less than 50% of visits; >=25%<50% chance of observation Occasional – observed on only on a small minority of visits; >=10%<25% chance of observation Seldom – not usually seen on visits; <10% chance of observation These terms refer to visits to appropriate habitats made at appropriate times of the year, making use of common sampling/observation methods. Under those conditions, Frequency refers to the chance of observing at least one individual on a given visit made anywhere within a particular region, or over multiple visits to a single site.

checklist_mt_low
<4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_pd
Piedmont

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_cp
Coastal Plain

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

habitat

Moist forests

observation_methods

state_protection

NHP_ranks

NHP_status

status_comments

Photo Gallery for Trichonephila clavipes Golden Silk orbweaver
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Wilson Co. Comment: Female	Recorded by: Colin Swann New Hanover Co. Comment: Ive seen these here every year for at least 3 years.
	Recorded by: Colin Swann New Hanover Co. Comment: Ive seen these here every year for at least 3 years.	Recorded by: Colin Swann New Hanover Co. Comment: Ive seen these here every year for at least 3 years.
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Brunswick Co. Comment: Young female, 10mm body length.	Recorded by: Paul C. Hart Harnett Co. Comment: Scurrying along forest floor
	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA - common in park @ -76.682590, 34.696099	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Dare Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jack V. Beaufort Co. Comment: my grandson Jack (8 yrs) was the first to spot this orbweaver, and he took the picture with a Canon Powershot A720 IS digital camera.
	Recorded by: Mark Shields Columbus Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Shields Robeson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Shields Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: G. Schneider Onslow Co. Comment: HABE - Lots of females with webs at 4 to 5 feet off the ground near wet ditch near the Evergreen Trail @ -77.143823, 34.674362	Recorded by: L. Eckart Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA
	Recorded by: Ken Kneidel New Hanover Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Margo MacNair Carteret Co. Comment: Web extends from second floor to bushes at ground level
	Recorded by: Margo MacNair Carteret Co. Comment: Web extends from second floor to bushes at ground level	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA
	Recorded by: Michael P. Morales Cumberland Co. Comment: Only the 2nd specimen I know about from Cumberland Co. New spider, same location; here at Lake Rim Park where I work. I hadn't seen one here since Aug. 2014. A skinny female with a small web about 4.5 feet off the ground between some vines and small trees on an abandoned roadbed in the park adjacent to a swampy area of woods next to our nature trail. She had a dewdrop spider in her web as well. No males.	Recorded by: Michael P. Morales Cumberland Co. Comment: Only the 2nd specimen I know about from Cumberland Co. New spider, same location; here at Lake Rim Park where I work. I hadn't seen one here since Aug. 2014. A skinny female with a small web about 4.5 feet off the ground between some vines and small trees on an abandoned roadbed in the park adjacent to a swampy area of woods next to our nature trail. She had a dewdrop spider in her web as well. No males.
	Recorded by: Austin Brooks Carteret Co. Comment: Observed building web on 26 July 2022.	Recorded by: Austin Brooks Carteret Co. Comment: Observed building web on 26 July 2022.
	Recorded by: M.Windsor Onslow Co. Comment: HABE - at 4h beside abandoned building	Recorded by: Alvin Braswell Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Owen McConnell Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Owen McConnell Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther New Hanover Co. Comment: Feeding on Erythrodiplax minuscula (Little Blue Dragonlet)
	Recorded by: Erich Hofmann and Kayla Weinfurther Columbus Co. Comment:	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA - Common on trail
	Recorded by: Stephen Brey New Hanover Co. Comment: She reminds me of a Skulltula (From the Legend of Zelda).	Recorded by: Stephen Brey New Hanover Co. Comment: She reminds me of a Skulltula (From the Legend of Zelda).
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment:	Recorded by: R. Glenney Moore Co. Comment: WEWO - Just west of Lighter Stump trail, in opening with a dead log below. Large web built between the two nearest trees and the log.
	Recorded by: R. Newman Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Brunswick Co. Comment: Male. 1/3 the size of female.
	Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan New Hanover Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Carteret Co. Comment:	Recorded by: K. Bischof New Hanover Co. Comment: CABE - Obs. along the tin transect behind the VC. 2 males, 1 female.
	Recorded by: K. Bischof New Hanover Co. Comment: CABE - Obs. along the tin transect behind the VC. 2 males, 1 female.	Recorded by: Michael P. Morales Cumberland Co. Comment: Possible first record for Cumberland County, North Carolina. Female. She was the only one we found in a swampy flood plain next to our creek in the park. Her web was about 6 feet above the ground between two tree trunks. We never found a male and haven't recorded the species in our area since. A scientist who studies the range expansion of this species was contacted about this particular specimen.
	Recorded by: Michael P. Morales Cumberland Co. Comment: Possible first record for Cumberland County, North Carolina. Female. She was the only one we found in a swampy flood plain next to our creek in the park. Her web was about 6 feet above the ground between two tree trunks. We never found a male and haven't recorded the species in our area since. A scientist who studies the range expansion of this species was contacted about this particular specimen.	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Steve Hall and Laura Robinson Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: L. Garner Bladen Co. Comment: SILA - female found across SE boundary line next to Hwy 53 E @ -78.445473, 34.581426
	Recorded by: L. Garner Bladen Co. Comment: SILA - female found across SE boundary line next to Hwy 53 E @ -78.445473, 34.581426	Recorded by: Adam Walker Columbus Co. Comment: LAWA - Big Creek
	Recorded by: Dorothy E. Pugh Carteret Co. Comment: THRO - On Nature Trail near the Aquarium	Recorded by: S.Bland Onslow Co. Comment: HABE
	Recorded by: Dorothy E. Pugh and Karl D. Gottschalk New Hanover Co. Comment: CABE - These showed up near and across a path leading to the Fly Trap Trail, close to the parking lot.	Recorded by: Chris Helms, Jonathan Short, John Osbourne Columbus Co. Comment: LAWA - Female, noticable golden sheen on web.
	Recorded by: Newman, Randy Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA - Two female and one male observed along fort service road behind moat pump.	Recorded by: Newman, Randy Carteret Co. Comment: FOMA - Two female and one male observed along fort service road behind moat pump.
	Recorded by: Newman, Randy Carteret Co. Comment: THRO - Large specimen in web on Roosevelt Trail.	Recorded by: Newman,Randy Carteret Co. Comment: THRO - On Roosevelt Trail
	Recorded by: Newman,Randy Carteret Co. Comment: THRO - On Roosevelt Trail	Recorded by: C. Vanek Onslow Co. Comment: HABE

Photo Gallery for Trichonephila clavipes Golden Silk orbweaver