Trichonephila clavata

Trichonephila clavata
	female with two males in Tokyo, Japan
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Araneidae
Genus:	Trichonephila
Species:	T. clavata
Binomial name
	Trichonephila clavata; L. Koch, 1878
Synonyms
	Nephila clavata; Nephila limbata; Nephila obnubila; Nephila clavatoides; Nephila clavata cavalierei

Trichonephila clavata, also known as the Jorō spider (ジョロウグモ（女郎蜘蛛、上臈蜘蛛）, Jorō-gumo), is a member of the golden orb-web spider genus. The spider can be found throughout Japan (except Hokkaidō), in Korea, Taiwan, China, and more recently, northeast Georgia in North America.^[2]^[3]^[4] Due to its large size and the bright, unique colors of the female Trichonephila, the spider is well-favored in Japan.

In 2015, scientists confirmed the first known occurrence of T. clavata in North America.^[2]

In 2019, this species was moved from the genus Nephila to Trichonephila. T. clavata’s congener Trichonephila plumipes is commonly found in Australia. It was also moved from Nephila to Trichonephila, along with other 11 species including T. clavata. ^[5]

Characteristics[]

female from below

Trichonephila clavata pass winter as eggs and scatter as tiny juveniles in the spring. The adult female's body size is 17–25 mm, while the male's is 7–10 mm.

The web of females can reach 1 m in length; the yellow threads appear rich gold in sunlight. The structure of the web seen in cross-section is unusual for an orb web; it has three layers: the central orb, plus two irregular layers in front and behind the orb.

The adult female individual has stripes of yellow and dark blue, with red towards the rear of the abdomen. In autumn, smaller males may be seen in the females' webs for copulating. After mating, the female spins an egg sack on a tree, laying 400 - 1500 eggs in one sack. The lifecycle ends by late autumn or early winter.

Silk[]

Researchers led by Masao Nakagaki at Shinshu University, Japan, have succeeded in creating a silk thread that is stronger, softer, and more durable than conventional silk by injecting silkworm eggs with genes of the spider. The silkworms that hatch weave cocoons containing 10% spider protein. The dragline silk is said to have many uses, such as bulletproof vests, sutures after an operation, tennis rackets, fishing line, and nets. A Japanese manufacturer, Okamoto, had begun developing commercial applications for the spider silk, and planned to release extra-thin, durable spider socks by 2010.^[6]^[7]

In folklore[]

Jorōgumo is a legendary creature in Japanese folklore. A Jorōgumo is a spider that can change its appearance into that of a beautiful woman. She seeks men to seduce, whom she then binds in her silk and devours.

Play media

This Jorō spider (T. clavata) was about 5 cm long. It is a member of the golden orb-web spider group. The large one is the female and the smaller one in the background is the male. Filmed in Tokyo, Japan on September 29, 2013.

Gallery[]

Female shown on a web at a military base in Aibano, Japan.
Female with a male in the background on Enoshima-Isle, Japan
Female spider eating a ladybug in South Korea.
Trichonephila clavata web on electric power cable (Tanabe, Wakayama, October 2007)
Female; taken on November 20, 2010 in Ibaraki, Japan.
Female spider in Rikugien.