Species information
Scientific name: Nephila pilipes
Japanese name: オオジョロウグモ
Chinese name: 人面蜘蛛、斑絡新婦
English name: Giant golden orb weaver
Origin: Japan (Ryukyu Islands south of Amami Oshima), Taiwan, China, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Papua New Guinea, Australia
Ecology and description
The giant golden orb weaver is the largest spider in Japan. Females are 3.5–5 cm long, while males are only 0.7–1 cm, so small that they look like a different species. Females vary in color: some are black with yellow longitudinal stripes, some are entirely black, and some are reddish-brown. Males are reddish-brown.
This species builds large orb webs, about 1–1.5 m in diameter, between trees. It can be seen from parks and shrines around houses to forests in the mountains. It has one generation per year, and adults appear from June to November. Small spiders that feed on the leftovers of the host’s prey sometimes live on the web; in Okinawa, most of them are Famakytta miniacea.
References: Insect guide insects.jp, World Natural Heritage Tokunoshima, Ikimono Hakken Biyori (Biome), Wikipedia, Biodiversity4All, TaiEOL, World Spider Catalog
Field photographs taken during our tours, with observation dates
Large individuals are frequently seen during our 【Forest Walk】 or 【Herping】 tours from summer to autumn.
