Courtaraneus orientalis

Courtaraneus orientalis is New Zealand’s largest endemic orb-weaving spider. It is usually found in scrub and forest-edge habitats, where it builds a large circular web, in some cases up to 2 m wide.

This species holds particular significance to me, as the genus Courtaraneus was formally described in a paper by Volker, Cor, Bryce, and Angela.
View the paper here.

For more observations you can check out my iNaturalist.

---