Humped Golden Orb-weaving Spider

Nephila plumipes

Description:

I could not get a shot of the dorsal side of the abdomen but this orb weaver's underside was striking in colour and pattern. It was a purple colour with thin pale crisscrossing lines. The abdomen was raised giving the body a humped look. Legs were thin with the front two pairs pointing downwards. Legs had short setae giving them a furry look. The joints were yellow. The web appeared to be a complicated tangle with a golden sheen, suspended between the fence and plants, but there was a definite beautifully woven orb which was highlighted by the night's rain. In the morning I spotted a jagged weave of bright yellow silk running down the web, looking like a bolt of lightening ( pic 3). A significant feature about this spider is that it strings up the remains of its prey in the web. This looks like a good camouflage. The spider and the strings of tangled remains did look like debris caught-up in cob webs. This is a female and measured about 4 cms.