Bright lights, big city a great lifestyle for these spiders

Bright lights, big city a great lifestyle for these spiders. August 2014 - City life does not suit everyone but golden orb-weaving spiders thrive in urban landscapes, a University of Sydney study shows. "City-dwelling orb-weaving spiders grow larger and could produce more offspring than their country cousins our research shows," said Elizabeth Lowe , a PhD candidate in the University's School of Biological Sciences and lead author of a study published in the journal PLOS today. This study shows invertebrates are sensitive to urbanisation but that not all species are negatively affected by living in cities. "Our findings show the impact urbanisation can have on local wildlife. While many species do not survive encroaching urbanisation and the consequent loss of native habitat, others have a more complex relationship with man-made changes to the landscape. The researchers collected golden orb-weaving spiders (Nephila plumipes) from across the Sydney city region.