Coin Spider

Description:

This large colorful spider is also named as Herennia ornatissima (Ornate Orbweaver). This adult female is colorful but was white in color when it was young (see http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/170...) White abdomen with black holes and bright orange marks underneath like the females of Nephilengys. Dark carapace with the sides lined with bright orange and a V mark in the center. Her striped legs are long except for the 3rd pair which is relatively short which is similar to Hersiliidae spiders (possibly for moving around on tree trunks) The females of this species shaped their silks (web) like a bird nest and they will rest in the middle of the nest which is on a vertical wall. The males are wanderers and much tinier as seen in this spotting (http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/169...)

Habitat:

I found a large group (hundreds) of them living together on a wall of a resthouse in Tawau Hills Park. All of these females are quietely tucked in their web while facing down. Their natural habitat is on tree trunk (barks) but these spiders moved to live in this artificial habitat. This species is the most common Herennia spiders, they are widespread in Southeast Asia.

Notes:

I have been observing this group of spiders. Their numbers have been dropping a lot and those females that are left move higher up the wall making it unreachable for me to photograph them. Their huge drop in numbers could be caused from predators (birds) that spotted them, or global warming, or just that someone has decided to start cleaning the walls. This is one of the 2 Herennia species recorded from Sabah, I am still trying to find the other one, which is Herennia deelemanae. Special thanks to Amir Ridhwan for the identification. >>>Map accuracy : 5m diameter.