I photographed him in the Philippines, Leyte.
I’ve been told a bite kills in minutes. Since I go there a lot I would like to know if that is true?
It is black with yellow stripes, about 5 to 7 cm long and 1 cm wide. There are also orange/red stripes on the legs.
Answer
Dear Nick,
This is a spider of the genus (genus) Nephila. There are quite a few species in that genus but I suspect they are Nephila pilipes. Nephilas are the so-called ‘golden orb web spiders’ that make a very large, beautiful golden-yellow web. These spiders are totally harmless. I myself once slept under such a web of spider with an arachnologist who brought these spiders and had them make webs all over his house. They are not aggressive at all and catch many harmful insects.
Kind regards,
Rudy
Answered by
Dr Rudy Jocque
Arachnology Zoology Biodiversity
Leuvensesteenweg 13 3080Tervuren
http://www.africamuseum.be
.