Tiger Spider Trichonephila plumipes

This spider has earned multiple names reflecting its dramatic appearance: the Pacific golden orb weaver, the tiger spider — a reference to its tiger-like striped markings that make it unmistakable in Australia, Indonesia, and Pacific Island forests. But the real story here is extreme sexual dimorphism taken to an unusual extreme: this species practices sexual cannibalism, where females consume males during or after mating — an evolutionary trade-off where males gain reproductive success at the cost of their survival. The payoff for this dramatic sacrifice: a brilliant golden web that glistens in the sun, one of nature's most beautiful hunting tools.