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Jennifer Marohasy

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Oh, what a golden web she weaves (part II)

January 12, 2008 By jennifer

Nephila2.jpg

Take a long look into the face of the world’s largest two-dimensional wheel-web weaving spider: The Golden Orb-weaver (Nephila pilipes).

The red appendages, projecting forward from the head region, are sensory organs called palps. They detect scent, sound and vibration. Between them are the powerful chelicerae; made up of the base segment and the fangs. Above, the cephalothorax houses six eyes with a three-dimensional outlook.

Gigantism in these animals correlates with increased temperature, so I suppose it is inevitable that we should all enjoy a closer familiarity in this anthropogenically-exacerbated interglacial warming period.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Plants and Animals

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paul Biggs says

    January 13, 2008 at 2:31 am

    As ever, superb stuff from Neil. Have golden orb-weavers got bigger during the 20th century? Do we have a golden orb-weaver ‘hockey stick!?’

  2. Woody says

    January 13, 2008 at 9:38 am

    I saw a movie about men being attacked by giant ants which were created by radioactivity from nuclear testing in the 1950’s. Maybe they can fight the giant spiders caused by global warming.

  3. gavin says

    January 13, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    seven legs neil? Are we missing another story?

  4. chrisgo says

    January 13, 2008 at 5:13 pm

    Are the webs or the spiders the largest?
    A scale or some indication of size would be interesting.
    Superb photo.

  5. Neil Hewett says

    January 13, 2008 at 5:15 pm

    G’day Gavin,

    It’s not that unusual for this species to loose a leg to a bird. It mostly occurs in early instars, but once severed, subsequent instars preclude regeneration.

  6. Neil Hewett says

    January 13, 2008 at 5:33 pm

    Spiders chrisgo. They’re a little difficult to measure accurately as they hold their legs slightly flexed with the web under constant tension. However, I would estimate ~200mm (8”) long.

  7. Green Davey Gam Esq. says

    January 15, 2008 at 10:20 am

    Is this a photo of ‘Luke’ making a comeback in another guise? Is there no end to his ingenuity?

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Jennifer Marohasy Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method. Read more

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