Paul Bertner / Spiny Spider (Gasteracantha falcicornis), Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Tanzania

Alex Hyde / Spinybacked orb weaver spider (Gasteracantha sp.} photographed on white background, tropical rainforest, Andasibe-Mantadia NP, Madagascar

Piotr Naskrecki / Spiked Spider (Gasteracantha sp) their abdomen, or opisthosoma, is heavily sclerotized and armed with hard spines possibly to protect against birds and lizards, Solomon Islands

Kim Taylor / Spiked spider {Gasteracantha sp} eating its web as it winds it in, East Africa

Derek Galon / Spiny Orb Weaver (Gasteracantha sp) Dominica.

Derek Galon / Spiny Orb Weaver (Gasteracantha sp) Dominica.

Emanuele Biggi / Spiny orb weaver spider (Gasteracantha sp), Madagascar.

Paul Bertner / Spiked Spider (Gasteracantha sp), Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Paul Bertner / Spiny Spider (Gasteracantha falcicornis), Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Tanzania

Paul Bertner / Spiny Spider (Gasteracantha versicolor), Ranomafana National Park, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Lorraine Bennery / Spinybacked orb weaver spider (Gasteracantha sp.) Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar, November.

Piotr Naskrecki / Spiked Spider (Gasteracantha sp), Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique