Finch in a Web!

These spiders are just turning more ferocious every day! Nephila edulis is the Australian cousin of Nephila clavipides, a common weaver spider from Costa Rican forests. They are both about the same size and capable of building the strongest web in nature. You might be able to find this spider in Manuel Antonio National Park or in the Hotel and able to try the strength of its silk yourself. Nephila's web is 6 times stronger than steel and has a shiny golden color; that's why they call them "Golden-silk Orb Weavers". Scientists know that these orb-spiders feed on the largest insects they can find, but in Australia some resent pictures have shocked the scientific community. The pictures showed how a hungry Nephila caught a finch called the Chestnut-breasted Mannikin on its web and ate it! The spider's venom decomposes the tissues and she literally "drinks" its prey through its small mouth. These pictures were proven to be real. This gluttonous spider couldn't finish the whole thing and probably had a stomach ache of eating so much.
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By: Jose Pablo Fdez, naturalist guide