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The golden orb weavers are one of the largest spiders found in Australia.
Their webs with diameters of over 1 meter can be found hanging off sign posts, in or between trees.
Female spiders can measure up to 45 mm while the smaller males measure only 6 mm. The male is often found in or around the web of the female.
Beside the male and the female boarders resides in the web. They are called quicksilver, dewdrop or droplet spider (Argyrodes antipodianus)
because their silvery body shines like drops of water in the sun.

If you look closely at the web you can notice that the snares have a golden color. The web is extremely strong. So strong that even small birds stick in the net.

Nephila edulis female and male	Nephila edulis female
Argyrodes antipodianus	Argyrodes antipodianus. Length 2 mm.Fam Therriidae
Nephila edulis male	Young Nephila spiders.
Nephila edulis female. Note the golden web colour	Nephila edulis juvenile female

Nephila maculata. Note the yellow spot on it front legs and the red fangs.	Nephila maculata (by Marie Herbenstein)
Nephila pilipes	Nephila pilipes
Nephila pilipes
	The first, second and fourth pairs of legs of juvenile (young) females have dense hairy brushes. When the spider matures these brushes disappear. The web is vertical with a fine irregular mesh and it is not symmetrical, but the hub is usually nearer the top. The female does not hang her egg-sac in the web but digs a pit and then covers it with plant debris and soil. It is thought that the yellow colouring is used to attract prey.
Nephila pilipes

Nephila ZZ079	Nephila ZZ284
Nephila ZZ310	Nephila ZZ310

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January 1, 2009

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