It is a sight that could send any arachnophobe into a cold sweat.
But this magnificent web is actually work of thousands of tiny caterpillars rather the first sign of a spider uprising.
The ermine moth larvae, typically less than an inch long, have taken over bushes on a roundabout near Therapia Lane tram stop in Croydon.
Their spectacular silken blanket was spotted by Jaco Zietsman, who works nearby.
He said: "It's been there for just over a week. Spiders moved in and are taking advantage of the webs."
The caterpillars weave the webs to protect themselves - and their food source, the plants - as they prepare for their metamorphosis into moths.
National Trust ecologist Matthew Oates said: "They have a fantastic time, infesting areas, stripping whole bushes and fully expressing themselves as gregarious caterpillars."
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