Golden silk orb-weaver spiders are found all over Costa Rica (they range between the southern United States to Argentina), spinning their webs with golden silk so strong it is used by locals as fishing line and by some hummingbirds as nest material. This particular spider is a female, as the males are five to six times smaller. The golden silk produced by these orb-weavers is currently being tested as a stronger alternative to Kevlar, the fiber used in bullet-proof vests.
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