Giant orb spider - Ojorogumo

This spider belongs to the Arthropoda phylum, Arachnidae family, and Araneidae family. It is a web-building spider, and females are the largest in Japan, reaching a body length of 5 cm, and over 15 cm when their legs are stretched out. The base color of the body is black, with two yellow vertical stripes running down the abdomen. The bases of the palps are yellowish-red. The web is large and circular, reaching 1-2 meters in diameter. It is widely distributed from the Tokara Islands south to tropical regions. Males are extremely small, brown, and less than 1 cm long. It is also well known for the large difference in body length between males and females.

[Takeo Yaginuma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

節足動物門クモ形綱真正クモ目コガネグモ科に属するクモ。造網性のクモで、雌は日本最大で体長5センチメートル、脚(あし)を前後に伸ばすと15センチメートル以上になる。体の地色は黒く、腹部に黄色の2本の縦条が走る。触肢の基部は黄赤色。網は円網で大きく、直径1～2メートルに達する。吐噶喇(とから)列島以南、熱帯地方にかけて広く分布する。雄はきわめて小さく褐色で体長1センチメートル足らず。雌雄の体長の差が大きいことでも有名である。

［八木沼健夫］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例