A large spider native to East Asia has spun its thick, golden web on power lines, porches and vegetable patches all over north Georgia this year - a proliferation that has driven some unnerved homeowners indoors and prompted a flood of anxious social media posts.

(CNN) -- Around the world, fireflies light up the night with their shimmering bodies. But scientists say this magical display is under threat -- with the loss of their natural habitats, pesticide use and artificial light putting some of the 2,000 or so species at risk of extinction.