Last fall our orb weaver spider (Nephila clavipes) on the Costa Rica level of the rainforest laid several egg cases. And recently one of the egg cases hatched with approximately 800 offspring! They’re tough to photograph, but below is a picture of a group of the hatchlings at a couple days old:

Orb weavers in the Americas have an interesting natural history. They range from southeast United States (North Carolina to Texas) through Central America into the warmer parts of South America. In the U.S. they are a seasonal species, hatching from previously laid egg cases in April/May and then dying after they reproduce in Oct/Nov. In more tropical climes, they typically live 2-3 years. Here is a photo of an adult taken near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, Costa Rica:

With a body length of two inches and ~4 inches with their legs, these are good sized spiders. They have extremely strong silk with a tensile strength six times that of steel! There are species of Nephila throughout the world’s tropical areas. Come visit our 800 baby orb weaver spiders next time you are at the Academy. They can be seen on the third (Costa Rica) level hiding out in the terrarium accross from the elevator doors. Here’s what one of the little cuties looked like on Thursday the 22nd of April: