A researcher says that he has identified the largest known golden orb weaver spider in the world. It’s an impressive looking beast with a body length over 1.5″ and leg-span over 5″.
I have read several articles claiming it’s orb can be more than a meter wide and that it is also the largest web-making spider in the world. I think what they actually mean is that it is the largest web-making species of Nephila in the world. I have seen much bigger orb webs made by much bigger spiders, such as Japan’s onigumo (Araneus). Their leg-spans might be shorter than Nephila komaci, but I have seen them with bodies well over 2″ long (I’d say over 3″ long, but that could be a case of inflated memory!) and orbs more than 5′ across. I saw one eating a dragon fly while suspended midway between two electric poles more than 40′ apart.
Once, an onigumo almost landed on my head when I opened my back door. It gives me the willies just thinking about it. I think that onigumo means demon spider in Japanese. It’s an appropriate name.
Update July 18, 2010: I saw several golden orb weavers in Nail’s Creek State Park in Texas that had bodies over 2″ long, but the leg-span still wasn’t as wide as Nephila komaci’s.
Also, check out the photos of enormous communal webs in the same park.
See Wired and Spiegel Online.
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