Golden Orb Weaver PreyBee Butterfly Dragonfly Fly Gecko Lizard Tail Shield Bug

Australian Golden Orb WeaverFemale Male Dimorphic Males Juvenile to Mature Female Moult Prey Web of Sex Egg Sac Web

Larger insect prey such as butterflies, will also be gladly packaged and devoured by both the female and male Golden Orb-weaver, as seen in the following…

Male and female Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Male and female Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider with prey (Caper White Butterfly)
— Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer

The male Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider are also known to feed on prey that have been caught in the web, although they do tend to stay out of the reach of the female (just in case).

Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Male and female Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Male and female Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Male and female Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Male and female Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) with prey (Caper White Butterfly), Olive Pink Botanic Garden NT © Dorothy Latimer
Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider with prey (Caper White Butterfly) © Dorothy Latimer
— click image to view full screen

Following videos are of the Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider with a captured prey, a Caper White Butterfly (Belenois java teutonia). The dimorphic male can also be seen in the footage.

1. Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider with Caper White Butterfly © Dorothy Latimer
2. Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider with Caper White Butterfly © Dorothy Latimer
3. Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider with Caper White Butterfly © Dorothy Latimer
4. Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider with Caper White Butterfly © Dorothy Latimer

Golden Orb Weaver PreyBee Butterfly Dragonfly Fly Gecko Lizard Tail Shield Bug

Australian Golden Orb WeaverFemale Male Dimorphic Males Juvenile to Mature Female Moult Prey Golden Orb and the Bee Golden Orb and the Butterfly Golden Orb and the Dragonfly Golden Orb and the Fly Golden Orb and the Gecko Golden Orb and the Lizard Tail Golden Orb and the Shield Bug Web of Sex Whilst She is Distracted Whilst She is Distracted Again Egg Sac Web

SpidersIndex of Spider Images Spiders in Australia Spiders Index Araneidae — Orb Weavers Arkys Australian Huntsman Spider Barking Spider Black House Spider Carepalxis sp Celaenia sp Crab Spiders Deinopidae — Net-casting Spiders Dolomedes sp Dolophones sp Flower Spiders Hackled Orbweavers (Uloboridae) Herennia sp Jewel Spider Jumping Spider Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp) Lynx Spider (Oxyopes) Mangrovia albida Maratus Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) Miturgidae Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Nyssus coloripes (Orange-legged Swift Spider) Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Poltys sp (Twig Spider) Redback Spider Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi) Thomisidae Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus) Wolf Spider