Showing posts with label Nephilidae. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nephilidae. Show all posts

Sunday 7 December 2014

Giant wood spider (Nephila pilipes) - Sikkim Spider

Nephila pilipes (Giant wood spider)
Venue: Sirwani, Singtam,  South Sikkim
Date: November 29, 2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan




Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia
Phylum:          Arthropoda
Class:             Arachnida
Order:            Araneae
Suborder:       Araneomorphae
Family:           Nephilidae
Genus:            Nephila
Species:           N. pilipes

Binomial name: Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793)

Other Names: Giant Wood Spider, golden orb-weavers  or banana spiders.


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)