Once Thought Extinct, Giant Spider Found Again

Once thought to be extinct, the first Nephila komaci spider was first found in an old museum collection in South Africa in 2000. A few years later, another specimen was found at a museum in Austria. No other specimens were found until two females and one male were found in the Tembe Elephant Park in Africa. The discovery is the first new Nephila species since 1879.

This is the largest of all known orb-weaving spiders; you know, the ones that make the big round webs. The spider's total size, including legs, can be as large as a CD, with its body an inch and a half long. Check out the article at ecoworldly. They are also called Golden Silk Orb Weavers, because their silk, from which they weave their webs, is golden in color.