Banded-legged golden orb spider

A female golden orb spider can have an abdomen of up to 30mm long. She dwarfs the tiny 5mm male in both size and weight. In almost all nephila species the male is in danger of being devoured by the female after mating. To avoid being cannibalised, the male will approach the female when she is already feeding, or present her with a parcel of food to eat. Whilst the female is distracted, the male will fertilize her and then retreat to a safe distance