Giant Golden Orb Weaver ♀

Photos showing ventral side of the Giant Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila pilipes Fabricius 1793; Arachnida: Araneae: Araneomorphae: Nephilidae). The large yellow spots under the legs are a distinguishing characteristic of this species. Females are large and grow to a body size of 30–50 mm (overall size up to 20 cm), with males growing to 5–6 mm. It is one of the biggest spiders in the world and makes the largest and strongest web. It gets its name from the golden color of its silk. It is commonly found in primary and secondary forests and gardens.

Distributional record: Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, and Papua New Guinea.