Eastern Golden Orb-Weaving Spider
Nephila plumipes
NEW There's an alternative version of this page at the new website www.ark.au/golden-orb-weaving-spider.html Other Names: Golden Orb-Weaving Spider
Family: Nephilinae (Golden Orb-weavers), 3 genera in Australia
Size: Male 5 mm, female 35 mm
Distribution:
Habitat:
References: Whyte and Anderson.
About the Eastern Golden Orb-Weaving SpiderThe genus Nephila makes web which has very strong thick yellow-golden looking strands in it. It has even been woven into garments. Danger: I knew someone who said they were bitten by one of these and it was extremely painful, but they didn't get sick or have any medical problems from it. Whyte and Anderson say that Eastern Golden Orb-Weavers "are timid and successfully been demonstrated at public events to show even large spiders can be harmless if handled gently.
Note that dead spiders usually fade in colour, so nearly all the spiders will look blacker or darker in colour in real life than they do in the photos of dead spiders from the museum.
Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. High Resolution 1785 x 2362.
Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. High Resolution 3372 x 1916.
Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. High Resolution 1156 x 980.
Recommended Reading
Spiders: A Wild Australia Guide, by Patrick Honan. 96 pages. This is a smaller spider guide showing the most well known spiders and then a few more. From the publisher, "Australia is home to more than 2000 known species of spiders - and it is estimated that four times that number actually exist in this country waiting to be discovered! Within the ranks of Australian spiders we find some of the most uniquely interesting and skilled creatures of the animal world, along with a few potentially-deadly species and even more harmless individuals with fearsome reputations. Love them or loathe them, spiders are a part of everyday life, and this Steve Parish WILD AUSTRALIA GUIDE provides an insight into the lives of some of these often-reclusive visitors to our gardens, homes and wild places. From how to identify them and where they live, to their unique skills and behaviours, this guide lets you get up close to some of the most common Australian spiders. Who knows? You may even find some of these fascinating creatures living right under your nose."
| See Also
Australian Mammals
Australian Birds
Australian Reptiles
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Wild Plant Foods
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