Central Australia SpidersAustralian Golden Orb Weaver Spider Longtailed Orb-weaving Spider
The Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis), also commonly known in the shortened form of Golden Orb Weaver or Golden Orb, is a large spider whose body is a silvery-grey to an almost plum colour. The legs often have red-brown-black bands.
In some instances, the band colour on the legs can be more reddish, pink or with hint of yellow, the yellow bands being a feature of the related genus Trichonephila plumipes.
A common inland spider, they are particularly noticeable in the large to huge webs that they spin, stretching between shrubs and trees and buildings in urban habitats. Another feature of their webs is the golden sheen when it catches the light in a certain way, hence the name of Golden Orb Weaver.
Another point of interest, is the size difference between the female Golden Orb Weaver and the male of the same species. The male Golden Orb Weaver is much smaller.
Of course there are exceptions to the rule… sometimes the male can be quite large, with these males known as “dimorphic males“.
You can also see images of this gorgeous spider:
- Alice Springs Desert Park — Australian Golden Orb-Weaving Spider
- Alice Springs Waste Stabilisation Ponds — Golden Orb-weaver Juvenile
- Birthday Waterhole Fauna — Golden Orb
- Kunoth Bore — Spiders Golden Orb Weaver Spider
- Olive Pink Botanic Garden — Australian Golden Orb Weaver (Trichonephila edulis)
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- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Infraorder: Araneomorphae
- Family: Araneidae
- Genus: Trichonephila
- Species: Trichonephila edulis
Central Australia SpidersAustralian Golden Orb Weaver Spider Longtailed Orb-weaving Spider
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