Meet a scary looking critter, the #orbspider, but she’s pretty harmless all the same.

This is a female. They’re the big ones! Males are way-smaller in size.

I saw a heap of these (nearly walked into this one’s web) a week ago, along the #LoddonRiver in #Bendigo #australia.

Australian golden orb weaver:

Found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, northern New Zealand, and New Caledonia.

The female typically grows to around 40mm (1.5 inch), whereas males only reach around 7-10mm (quarter to a third of an inch) in length.

It’s web is normally over 1 metre in diameter. Once built, it never leaves its web.

They’re harmless and not poisonous to humans.

Its main predators are birds and parasitic wasps.

Breeds throughout late summer and spring, and produces an average of 380 eggs.

The tiny males tie down the much larger females before mating, weaving silk threads over their abdomens.

Sexual cannibalism is rare with this species, however up to 50% of males are cannibalised throughout the natural course of life, as ‘prey’.

They’re an edible spider and are considered a delicacy in New Guinea. They’re plucked by the legs from their webs and lightly roasted over an open fire. Ummm, no thanks 😳

#altext, first image

#creepycrawley #spider #spiders #scaryshit #urbanflora #flora #Bendigo #Centralvictoria #bush #river #gardening #garden #melbourne #aesthetichedonist #flowersofmastodon #gardeningAU #gardening #narrm #victoria #Australia #makesmehappy