Banana Spider

“Weaver of the golden web ”

There are several genera of spiders called banana spiders, but few are as spectacular as Nephila. Not remotely as dangerous as the banana spider in “The Banana Boat Song,” these peaceable and relatively harmless arachnids spin webs that look like they are made of shimmering gold thread.

Moreover, the spider is notable for its extreme sexual dimorphism. This means that the sexes don’t look alike and don’t even look like they’re from the same species. This is mostly because the female is four times bigger than the male.

Though he must approach her with great caution to mate, tales of her eating him are exaggerated.

4 Incredible Banana Spider Facts!

Read on for some fascinating facts about these spiders.

• Females of N. komaci are the world’s largest web-spinning spiders. A female can have a leg span of 4.7 inches with a body that’s 1.57 inches long, and her web can be more than 3 feet around.
• The dragline silk of banana spiders can be stronger than Kevlar, which is used to make bulletproof vests.
• Though Nephila spiders eat insects, they do not eat all kinds of insects. Some species will remove wasps and winged ants that get caught in their web because they are distasteful. Others seem to be terrified of perfectly catchable and edible cockroaches.
• Some of these spiders seem to be able to control how ultraviolet light reflects off their body stripes. This helps them attract prey, for the insects think the spider is a pollen and nectar-filled flower. The golden color of the web also attracts hapless pollinators.

Evolution and Origins

While there is not enough data and research to consider the evolutionary steps of the banana spider.

They feed on small- to medium-sized pests, such as mosquitoes, that can be a nuisance. Researchers have attempted to use the super-strong silk produced by golden orb weavers in a variety of ways, including as a fabric.

Numerous species of spiders are referred to as banana spiders, most frequently Trichonephila clavipes (formerly Nephila clavipes), also known as the golden silk orb-weaver. The term “banana spider” possibly refers to the creature’s characteristically yellow coloring and lengthy abdomen.

Although their bite can be painful, banana spiders are not deadly and are generally not seen as a serious threat to people. One species of banana spider, the Brazilian Wandering Spider, has the potential to occasionally produce severe symptoms.

Species, Types, and Scientific Names

The name Nephila is Greek for “love of spinning,” which these spiders evidently have. There are at least 12 species, and some of these species have a number of subspecies.

• N. comorana
• N. constricta
• N. cornuta
• N. dirangensis
• N. komaci
• N. kuhlii
• N. laurinae
• N. pakistaniensis
• N. pilipes
• N. robusta
• N. tetragnathoides
• N. vitiana
• Nephila clavipes
• Nephila edulis
• Nephila komaci
• Nephila maculata
• Nephila pilipes
• Nephila senegalensis
• Nephila inaurata
• Nephila antipodiana
• Trichonephila inaurata
• Golden silk orb-weaver
• Nephila pilipes
• Trichonephila clavata
• Trichonephila edulis
• Nephila komaci

Appearance

The females of banana spiders are large for spiders, and they are much larger than their male counterparts, something that fascinates scientists.

A very large female can have a leg span that’s over 5 inches, and they grow even bigger around human habitation due to the availability of prey.

Males and females both have eight legs and slender bodies, though a gravid female’s abdomen is round like a gumball. The female can have an orange, greenish, or reddish body with lighter spots, with colorful stripes on her legs.

The legs sometimes have hairy tufts at the “joints.” Males are brown and are inconspicuous next to the gigantic female.

Habitat

Golden orb weaver spiders prefer habitats that are warm and humid and have some leaf cover. Because banana spider webs are so large, they need sturdy structures to support them.

Therefore, you will find a banana spider web as well as the spider that wove it between buildings, between trees, or between trees and buildings. They are often found at the edges of woodland paths or clearings and near bodies of water or areas where water is available, such as garden hose spigots.

While the genus Nephila can be found across the world, banana spiders were introduced into the Southern United States. The first reports of banana spiders in the South were in 1862, since that time their range has spread from Florida to include Georgia and up into states like North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

There is often a jumble of silk threads in front of the web that contains some debris, such as what’s left of the spider’s former prey. Some scientists believe this is to protect the main web from predators, blowing leaves, and other hazards. Others believe it is just what’s left of the spider’s old web.

Diet

Banana spiders usually eat insects. These include flies, moths, butterflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, bugs, and beetles. The spider wraps it in silk and sometimes caches it in a part of her web to be eaten in lean times.

1. University of Vermont, Available here: https://www.uvm.edu/~lehiggin/SSD_Nephila.html
2. IUCN Red List, Available here: https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Nephila&searchType=species
3. Texas A&M University, Available here: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-49_banana_spider.htm
4. Healthline, Available here: https://www.healthline.com/health/banana-spiders-bites#spider-facts
5. Integrated Taxonomic Information System, Available here: https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=848915#null
6. Australian Journal of Zoology, Available here: https://www.publish.csiro.au/ZO/ZO9780501
7. Nature, Available here: https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.3852
8. Britannica, Available here: https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-venomous-and-poisonous