Banana spider
Banana Spider
   

Banana Spiders

The Banana spiders are also known as Writing spiders, Golden silk orb-weavers or simply Golden orb-weavers. They belong to the genus Nephila in the family Nephilidae, a genus containing 27 different species. Examples of Banana spider species are Nephila clavata, Nephila clavipes, Nephila edulis, Nephila inaurata, Nephila maculata, Nephila pilipes and Nephila plumipes.

The “golden” part of their name does not allude primarily to the colour of the spiders, even though some of them can look quite golden.

The name is instead derived from the colour of their webs. Banana spiders produce yellow spider silk that shines like gold when exposed to sunlight. The golden colour is probably a way of attracting bees to the web. Shady spots of the web will instead blend in with the surroundings.

Young Banana spiders are famous for their ability to produce vibrational motion when a predator comes near. They will move rapidly back and forth at approximately 40 Hz. When you look at a web spun by a young Banana spider you may not notice the colouration, and young Banana spiders are therefore frequently mistaken for Orchard spiders. If you want to find a young Banana spider, you should look at dead branches that hangs down, or twigs and limbs without thriving foliage. Fences and house overhangs are also popular among young Banana spiders.

The Banana spider named Nephila clavata is native to China, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. It can however not be found on Hokkaidō, the second largest Japanese island. The female Banana spider can reach a size of 25 millimetres and create a web that exceeds one meter in width. The male Banana spider is considerably smaller and will typically be 7-10 millimetres. The female Banana spider is decorated with yellow and dark blue stripes, and mature specimens will be red around the spinneret. Since she is both large and colourful, this Banana spider is easily recognized and well known in her native range. During fall, the male will enter the web of the female in an effort to mate. After mating, the female will deposit from 400 to 1500 in an egg sack that she has spun. The egg sack will be attached to a tree. The offspring will stay inside the eggs during the winter season and emerge as larvae as spring arrives. They will grow during the summer and be ready for reproduction in fall.

The Banana spider named Nephila edulis is also known as the Edible golden silk spider since “edulis” is the Latin word for edible. We do not know for sure why the spider got this name, but several species of Banana spider are in fact eaten in New Guinea. Before being devoured, they are roasted over open fire. In addition to New Guinea, you can find Nephila edulis in Australia and New Caledonia (a part of Melanesia in the southwest Pacific). This Banana spider inhabits temperate as well as tropical environments. The anterior major body section is black and decorated with white markings on the back. The underside is yellow, while the abdomen is grey or brown. The female Banana spider can grow up to 23 millimetres and her web can exceed one metre. Males will rarely grow larger than 6 millimetres. The breeding season occurs between February and May and an average batch will comprise 380 eggs

Banana Spider Facts

Banana spider facts about Nephila pilipes

Nephila pilipes is a Banana spider that creates a vertical web from fine, irregular mesh. Unlike the web of many other spiders, this web is asymmetrical, and the hub is usually located quite close to the top. Another difference between this spider and most other spiders is that Nephila pilipes do not hang egg sacks; she will instead dig a pit and hide her offspring inside. To camouflage the pit, she will cover it with soil or plant debris.

This Banana spider lives in China, Japan, Burma, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea and Australia. You can find it in forests as well as in gardens. The Banana spider facts regarding size vary between the two sexes: the female can grow up to 50 millimetres while the male stay around 6 millimetres. If you look at a juvenile female Banana spider, you can see dense hairy brushes on her first, second and fourth pair of legs. Such brushes are not seen on mature female spiders.  

 

Banana spider facts about Nephila inaurata

Nephila inaurata is also known as the Red-legged golden orb-web spider. This Banana spider lives in South Africa and can also be found on several African islands in the Indian Ocean, such as Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues and the Seychelles.

One interesting Banana spider fact regarding this and many other Banana spider species is how the web can be amazingly strong. Even birds and bats will sometimes get caught in Nephila inaurata webs. The primary target is however much smaller animals, such as flies, moths, mosquitoes, beetles and wasps. This Banana spider will typically create its web in damp environments. It appreciates large trees and can string numerous webs together to form a huge web.

Banana spider facts about Nephila clavipes

This Banana spider is native to warm environments in the Americas. In the United States, its range stretches from the coastal southeast in North Carolina to Texas in the inland. It seems to prefer certain spots within its range, especially arboreal and swampy nooks. In such places you can sometimes find really large quantities of Nephila clavipes. In suitable environments along the coast, you can find impressive amounts of Banana spider webs made by this spices. 

One Banana spider fact that makes this species easily recognizable is its distinctive bright colouration. The female spider grows much bigger than the male. Her web can exceed three feet in width. In addition to this, the support strands can continue for several more feet. It is common for the Nephila clavipes web to look a bit unfinished, since it appears truncated by a flat support strand at the top. Adult Nephila clavipes create their nests at varying altitudes. They can be found in high three canopies as well as at eye-level.

In order to mate, the male spider must venture into the females’ web. After mating, the female will create a sack for the fertilized eggs and hang the sack on a tree. One Nephila clavipes egg sack can contain hundreds of eggs.

One example of a reassuring Banana spider fact concerning this species is that it is not dangerous to humans; its venom is not potent enough.

Banana spider picture by Liz Roy

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