Most spiders are solitary, only coming together to mate (there are exceptions: for example, in some species of Nephila (the golden orb weaver) a male lives in the web with the female.) Some spiders, such as Anelosimus eximius, form colonies of cooperating individuals, sometimes up to 50000-strong. Unlike social insect colonies, which have limited breeding individuals, the others being infertile, and frequently have distinct castes, social spiders are all fertile, and all are capable of doing any job. Advantages of sociality include access to larger prey than individuals could attack on their own, cooperative brood care: all adults look after – and even feed by regurgitating food – the young, better web/nest maintenance, and better defence from predators. While all of the spiders are fertile, not all reproduce, which seems to be a result of the female’s nutrition: reproducing takes a lot of energy, so if the mother’s body’s not up to it, it doesn’t happen. Among A. eximus, only 5-22% of the colony members are male.

There are 23 known species of social spider, including an Australian huntsman, Delena cancerides, out of about 45000 known spider species.

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160122-meet-the-spiders-that-have-formed-armies-50000-strong

I’d just like to say…….

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_(novel)

They all get along or eat each other in my yard. I’m often amazed at the numbers of wolf spider eyes that shine with my torch sweeps at night.
Think a bird must have got my biggest Nephila edulis. It was there with a heap of male attendants but now she’s gone.

The huntsman species seen very commonly around here is not particularly social.

Let’s see, ah, the locals are Holconia montana not Delena cancerides.

The spiders that build webs in close proximity would have to be somewhat social, wouldn’t you say? An example would be the Brisbane spider that builds so many nests together in the grass that when they pick up dew in the early morning it is impossible to walk across the grass without stepping on them.

There are other spiders in Brisbane that build webs in close proximity. I’m thinking particularly about redback-like spiders (without the red stripe) that form colonies within houses.

mollwollfumble said:

The huntsman species seen very commonly around here is not particularly social.

Let’s see, ah, the locals are Holconia montana not Delena cancerides.

The spiders that build webs in close proximity would have to be somewhat social, wouldn’t you say? An example would be the Brisbane spider that builds so many nests together in the grass that when they pick up dew in the early morning it is impossible to walk across the grass without stepping on them.

There are other spiders in Brisbane that build webs in close proximity. I’m thinking particularly about redback-like spiders (without the red stripe) that form colonies within houses.

I cleaned the widow of a house up at Newrybar. I’d no time to count them all but the lady renting the flat below whinged about the thousands I was dropping on her washing that was on the clothesline.

Nephila and other orbweavers can blanket the whole area in huge colonies.

Newrybar?

Ah, Byron Bay.

mollwollfumble said:

Newrybar?

Ah, Byron Bay.

Overlooking, from the ridge on Old Byron Bay Road.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

Newrybar?

Ah, Byron Bay.

Overlooking, from the ridge on Old Byron Bay Road.

MV came to visit me there. So too did tauto.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

Newrybar?

Ah, Byron Bay.

Overlooking, from the ridge on Old Byron Bay Road.

MV came to visit me there. So too did tauto.

Er.. Mr and Mrs MV, that is.