Garden Orb Weaving Spiders make wheel-shaped webs in openings between trees and shrubs where insects are likely to fly. When an insect flies into the web, the spider senses the vibration, rushes out from the web centre and rapidly wraps the victim in silk, rotating it with its shorter middle legs. When the prey is secure the orb-weaver administers a bite and sits back to allow the deadly venom to do its job. Once all movement has stopped, the spider takes the meal to the centre of the web and eats it or hangs it up for later. When food is plentiful these spiders will release large prey rather than risk a fight that may damage their web. Flying insects such as flies, beetles and bugs (including large prey like cicadas), are common prey. Butterflies and day-active moths are sometimes caught but are partially protected from web entrapment by the presence of scales on their wings - these scales can be shed and this may allow the insect to struggle free of the sticky web. - See more at: http://australianmuseum.net.au/garden-orb-weaving-spiders#sthash.IBPdHcVs.dpuf