World’s Largest Web-spinning Spider

By Miss Cellania in Animals & Pets, World Records on Oct 21, 2009 at 9:36 am

A new species of golden orb spider has been found in South Africa. It is the biggest spider ever found that spins a web -and what a web it is!

The female of the new species of golden orb weaver spider has a body one and a half inches long with a leg span of five inches and weaves a web more than three feet wide.

The tiny male, however, has a leg span of just one inch. The variation of the Nephila species, named as Nephila Komaci, was discovered by US and Slovenian researchers in Africa and Madagascar

Nephila Komaci has a limited range and is believed to be an endangered species. Link -via Unique Daily

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BamaChris
Oct 21st, 2009 at 10:07 am
Wow, I’d hate to run into one of these.
TimW
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 1:52 pm
It might be the largest web-spinning spider, but a related golden orb spider found along the US gulf coast (Nephila clavipes)spins webs well larger than three feet across. I’ve walked into many of them in my time.
TimW
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Here it is! I would say that is nearly a 5″ leg span.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nephila_clavipes_perspective.JPG
godoggo
Nov 1st, 2009 at 8:03 pm
According to the article I read, it’s an herbivore. So what’s web for?
godoggo
Nov 1st, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Oops, different spider. Never mind.
Sebastian
Jan 23rd, 2010 at 8:00 pm
…Ok, now i have confirmation. I personally ran across a spider sitting in its web that makes 5″ sound like a joke. I remember it quite well since i came about 3 feet from walking right into it head-first.

It was in the state of Rio de Janeiro…To the south and on an Island. web was at LEAST 5′ across and maybe 2.6′ high – a bird wouldve easily been caught in it.

the spider was sitting dead center just like any web spider might…only this one was roughly 12″ across legspan – conservatively!

I seriously think i ran across the largest webspider in the world – based on where i saw it, it makes sense that no one has ever observed it. i’d love to chat with a spider expert about it…

contact me
Largest spider
Oct 10th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Such a great discovery. I just wonder when people will explore the Earth. Every day we found new species of spiders. Every day they surprise us.

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