''Nephila antipodiana'', also known as the batik golden web spider, is a species of

golden orb-web spider ''Nephila'' is a genus of araneomorph spiders noted for the impressive webs they weave. ''Nephila'' consists of numerous species found in warmer regions around the world, although some species formerly included in the genus have been moved to '' ...

discovered in 1841 by

Charles Athanase Walckenaer Baron Charles Athanase Walckenaer (25 December 1771 – 28 April 1852) was a French civil servant, writer, man of letters, and scientist. He was a polymath and wrote extensively on geography, natural history, and literature. Major contributio ...

. The species is found throughout Australia, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The spider's silk contains a

pyrrolidine Pyrrolidine, also known as tetrahydropyrrole, is an organic compound with the molecular formula (CH2)4NH. It is a cyclic secondary amine, also classified as a saturated heterocycle. It is a colourless liquid that is miscible with water and most ...

alkaloid Alkaloids are a broad class of natural product, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids. Alkaloids are produced by a large varie ...

which serves as a chemical repellent to keep ants away from the spider's web.

Habitat

Batik golden web spiders are most commonly found in gardens and the edges of mangrove swamps, and are less likely to be found within forests.

Size

Males grow to 9 mm, and females to 30 mm.

References

Araneidae Spiders of Australia Spiders of China Spiders described in 1841 {{Araneidae-stub