Nephila pilipes

Uncommon card · No. 183288

Nephila pilipes (northern golden orb weaver or giant golden orb weaver) is a species of golden orb-web spider. It resides all over countries in East and Southeast Asia as well as Oceania. It is commonly found in forests and coastal areas, near surface water, and against buildings and other terrain structures. Adult females are very large, with a body length of 25 to 50 mm (1 to 2 inches). Males are dwarfs, measuring only 4 to 6 mm (about 0.2 inch). It is the second largest of the orb-weaving spiders apart from the recently discovered Nephila komaci. The first, second, and fourth pairs of legs of juvenile females have dense hairy brushes, but these brushes disappear as the spider matures. The N. pilipes golden web is vertical with a fine irregular mesh. It is not symmetrical, with the hub usually nearer the top. Rather than egg sacs being hung in the web, a pit is dug which is then covered with plant debris or soil.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0