Golden Orb Spider

Description:

This spider was huge! It was approximately 10 cm long and 8 cm wide. The legs were long, skinny, and black colored. Its body was large and thick and had a cool black and white pattern on it. Between the head and the body, there is a distinct white stripe across its body. The head was white colored with two black spots. Jutting out of the head area are two red stingers.

Habitat:

This Golden Orb Spider was living in Singapore Botanic Gardens. It was late afternoon and it was resting on a large web that was hanging low. It was in a shaded area sheltered by some trees. I spotted it at 6:16 PM.

Notes:

Nephila pilipes is one of the many species of Golden Orb Spiders. They are found in Japan, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Papua New Guinea, and Northern Australia. Usually it lives in secondary rainforests and gardens. Females grow up to 20 cm long, while males only grow to 5-6 mm. Nephila pilipes is one of the biggest spiders in the world.