About Trichonephila clavata (L.Koch, 1878)
Trichonephila clavata, also referred to as N. clavata, passes winter in the egg stage, and tiny juveniles disperse in spring. Like most spider species, females of Trichonephila clavata are much larger than males. Adult females have a body length of 17–25 millimetres (0.67–0.98 in), while adult males have a body length of 7–10 millimetres (0.28–0.39 in). Webs built by females can reach several meters in length. In sunlight, the web's yellow threads take on a rich gold color. The cross-sectional structure of this species' web is unusual for an orb web: it has three layers, consisting of a central orb plus two irregular layers positioned one in front and one behind the orb. Both males and females have a large abdomen and long legs. Adult females have yellow and dark blue stripes across their abdomen, with red colouring near the abdomen's rear. In autumn, smaller males can be found in females' webs to mate. After mating, the female spins an egg sac on a tree, laying between 400 and 1,500 eggs in a single sac. The female's life cycle ends when she dies by late autumn or early winter, and the next generation of spiders emerges the following spring. This species is used as food by the Ao-Nagas.
