KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -   Among the palmettos near a road in NASA's Kennedy Space Center, a large web supports this female Golden-silk Spider, along with the considerably smaller male in front of her (more visible in an enlargement).   Golden-silk spiders  build a roundish web, with an orb-shaped center like a fishnet.  Like the spider, the silk is bright yellow, leading to the alternate reference of "banana spider."   In Florida, a single golden-silk spider can place a web across a 12-foot wide trail overnight. It is frequently about 6 to 9 feet above the ground and normally has an area from 8 to 36 square feet.  They eat almost all insects; their natural enemies are wasps.   Golden-silk spiders are found in Florida to the Carolinas, the West Indies, Central and South America. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley
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