Arachnid
Golden Orb-weaver
Trichonephila senegalensisAlso known as Banded-legged Golden Orb-web Spider, African Golden Orb Spider, Senegal Golden Orb Weaver
Banded-legged golden orb-weavers construct massive, golden-tinted webs that span over a meter in width across forest clearings and garden gaps. Females exhibit striking yellow, black, and red patterns with distinctly banded legs, dwarfing the tiny brown males that reside on the outer edges of their webs. The dense silk is remarkably strong, capable of capturing large flying insects and occasionally small reptiles or birds.
Web WeaverVenomousDimorphic
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyMoths, Flies, Beetles
Predators
- Birds
- Lizards
- Spider Wasps
ThreatsHabitat clearance, pesticide overuse
HabitatsSavanna, open woodland, coastal bush, rural gardens
Life span1–2 years
Classification
- FamilyAraneidae
- SpeciesTrichonephila senegalensis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskVery high
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is very high
- Venom is mild to humans; observe webs from a slight distance to avoid painful bites.
Responsible observation
- Web Awareness: Look for yellow silk strands at eye level when walking through open bushveld.
- Observation Distance: Watch prey wrapping behavior from a few steps back without touching the support lines.
Co-occurring Weaver (c) Rudolph Steenkamp, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Rudolph Steenkamp · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Nora Jácome, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Andrew Hankey, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Andrew Hankey · cc-by-sa
Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?
Checking your Fauna account…Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.