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Banana spider/golden silk orb weaver

Nephila clavipes

Description:

Nephila spiders vary from reddish to greenish yellow in color with distinctive whiteness on the cephalothorax and the beginning of the abdomen. Like many species of the superfamily Araneoidea, they have striped legs specialized for weaving (where their tips point inward, rather than outward as is the case with many wandering spiders). Their contrast of dark brown/black and green/yellow allows warning and repelling of potential predators to whom their venom might be of little danger. Golden orb-weavers reach sizes of 1.5 to 2 inches in females, not including legspan, with males being usually 2/3 smaller (less than 1 inch).

Habitat:

In the United States, it ranges throughout the coastal southeast and inland, from North Carolina to Texas. Its distribution in many regions seems localized, and it may be completely absent (or just hard to find) over wide areas. Conversely, in some arboreal or swampy nooks, adults and their webs can be found in large concentrations, especially near the coast.

Notes:

Information obtained through Wikipedia.

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5 Comments

Anna Wilson
Anna Wilson 11 years ago

thank you :)

Anna Wilson
Anna Wilson 11 years ago

thank you :)

Anna Wilson
Anna Wilson 11 years ago

thank you :)

KatCuff
KatCuff 11 years ago

Nice series!

Lee Williams
Lee Williams 11 years ago

Like the detailed information.

Anna Wilson
Spotted by
Anna Wilson

Zolfo Springs, Florida, USA

Spotted on Jul 8, 2011
Submitted on Aug 7, 2011

Spotted for Mission

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