About Gasteracantha milvoides Butler, 1873
Gasteracantha milvoides Butler, 1873 is an African spider species belonging to the family Araneidae, and is commonly called the medium wing kite spider. This species has been recorded in the Central African Republic, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, and South Africa. In South Africa, it occurs in the provinces of Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga, and can be found in many protected areas including Hluhluwe Nature Reserve, iSimangaliso Wetland Parks, Ndumo Game Reserve, Kruger National Park, and Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve. Gasteracantha milvoides is an orb-web building spider that typically lives in warmer tropical regions. It usually builds its orb-webs in trees or tall shrubs, positioned between waist height and above an observer's eye level. The bridge line of the web is often longer than the orb section, which makes the spider appear to be floating in open space. Occasionally, the web is decorated with silk tufts. These spiders are active during the daytime and do not remove their webs. They have been collected from the Forest, Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, Grassland, Savanna, and Thicket biomes, at altitudes ranging from 5 to 1,341 meters above sea level.
