Bark Spider (Caerostris spec.), Silvermine, Table Mountain National Park, South Africa

Description

Bark spiders are nocturnal orb-web spiders that construct a large orb web, up to 1.5 metres, stretching from one tree to the next. The abdomen is cryptically coloured and adorned with numerous horny projections and viewed from the rear a definite animal face can be perceived. When she is off her web she retires to a branch and packs her legs tightly next to her body and she melts into her surroundings looking like a knot on the branch. They are large spiders with females reaching 30mm, body length.