Nephila pilipes (giant golden orb weaver) - Sikkim Spider

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Arthropoda

Class:              Arachnida

Order:            Araneae

Family:           Nephilidae

Genus:            Nephila

Species:           N. pilipes

Binomial name:  Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793)

Other Names: northern golden orb weaver or giant golden orb weaver

Special feature: 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.

The Nephila pilipes' web is vertical with a fine irregular mesh and not symmetrical, with the hub is usually nearer the top. Rather than egg sacks being hung in the web, a pit is dug which is then covered with plant debris or soil.

The first, second and fourth pairs of legs of juvenile females have dense hairy brushes, but as the spider matures these brushes disappear.

Source: Wikipedia