Science Report
Golden Orb Spider
What does it look like?
Golden Orb Weaving Spiders are large spiders with silvery-grey to plum coloured bodies and brown-black, often yellow banded legs. The males are tiny and red-brown to brown in colour. The main difference between the common Sydney species, Nephila plumipes and N. edulis (which is commoner in inland regions) is the presence of a 'knob' on the front of the sternum (the heart shaped plate on the underside of the body between the legs) of N. plumipes.
Large female and smaller male
CHPS resident Golden Orb female spider
Golden Orb egg sac
How big is the Golden Orb Spider?
2 cm - 4 cm (female), 5 mm (male)