“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.

Banana Spider Species, Types, and Scientific Name

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

Appearance: How To Identify Banana Spiders

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: Where to Find Banana Spiders

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.

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: What Do Banana Spiders Eat?

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.

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