You will meet this one face first, walking down a garden path, and it will take a moment to stop flailing. Then look at the web: it is golden, strong enough to catch small birds, and often a metre or more across.
Where you’ll see it
Strung between trees, across paths, along fences and under eaves. Anywhere with two anchor points and a flight path for insects. They are very common in the wetter months.
What to know
The large spider is the female. The male is a fraction of her size and lives at the edge of the web hoping not to be noticed. The silk really is gold, and it is among the strongest natural fibres known.
She is not aggressive and would rather drop and hide than bite. Duck under the web or move it gently with a stick to a corner of the garden, where she will eat a remarkable number of mosquitoes on your behalf.
