there were loads of them in a jungle walkway at a place called dolphin cove in jamaica, there were a couple in the trees at dunns river also in jamaica too never been so scared in my life sister took the picture, anyone got any ideas what they are? thanks
This is an orb-weaving spider, but it is difficult to say exactly which one. If it is very large (body length excluding legs 30mm or more), it possibly could be one of the golden silk orb weavers (family Nephilidae). Formerly placed in the families Araneidae and Tetragnathidae, they are the largest web-spinning spiders, but all are harmless to humans. Some araneids also can be fairly large, but their bodies usually are fatter in appearance than this one, or in the case of garden spiders (Argiope spp.), they typically have an area of very dense silk (stabilimentum) in the center of their web - see http://www.biokids.umich.edu/files/3843/black_and_yellow_argiope_medium.jpg.
