You may not like spiders and snakes, and the Golden silk orb-weaving spider might certainly stop you in your tracks. But stop before you swat: with a body up to 3 inches (not including the legs), the female eats twice its weight in insects each day. Her appetite protects your garden by controlling the insect population, including aphids, beetles, mosquitos, stinkbugs, and wasps.
Male golden silk orb-weavers are smaller and often hang out in the female’s web, which can be up to 3 feet in diameter. Watch where you walk!\
Insects and animals featured in "Critter Tales" may be found around Lake Wales and in areas such as Tiger Creek Preserve and Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge.