golden silk spider with smal male

golden silk spider with smal male. Nephila clavipes (Linnaeus) (Arachnida: Araneae: Tetragnathidae) the golden silk spider, Nephila clavipes (Linnaeus), a large orange and brown spider with the feathery tufts on its legs is well know to most native southerners. It is particularly despised by hikers and hunters, as during late summer and fall the large golden webs of this species make a sticky trap for the unwary. However, as is typical with most spiders, there is little real danger from an encounter with the golden silk spider. The spider will bite only if held or pinched, and the bite itself will produce only localized pain with a slight redness,