World's Largest Web-spinning Spider

Posted by Miss Cellania in Animal, World Records on October 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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COMMENT

5 comments to "World's Largest Web-spinning Spider"

  1. BamaChris
    October 21st, 2009 at 10:07 am

    Wow, I'd hate to run into one of these.

  2. TimW
    October 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.

  3. TimW
    October 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

  4. godoggo
    November 1st, 2009 at 8:03 pm

    According to the article I read, it's an herbivore. So what's web for?

  5. godoggo
    November 1st, 2009 at 8:06 pm

    Oops, different spider. Never mind.


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