- Nephila clavata
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Nephila clavata 
female with two males in Tokyo, Japan Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Suborder: Araneomorphae Family: Nephilidae Genus: Nephila Species: N. clavata Binomial name Nephila clavata
L. Koch, 1878Synonyms N. limbata
N. obnubila
N. clavatoides
N. clavata cavaliereiNephila 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 group. The spider can be found throughout Japan except Hokkaidō, in Korea, Taiwan and China. Due to the large size as well as the bright, unique colors of the species of the female Nephila, the spider is well-favored in Japan.
Contents
Characteristics
female from below
Nephila clavata pass winter as eggs and scatter as tiny juveniles in the spring. The female's body size is 17–25 mm, while the male's is 7–10 mm.
The web of female Nephila can reach one meter in width; 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 3 layers: the central orb, plus 2 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 male(s) may be seen in the female's web for copulating. After mating the female spins an egg sack on a tree, laying 400 - 1500 eggs in one sack. The life cycle 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 named Okamoto had begun developing commercial applications for the spider silk, and planned to release extra-thin, durable spider socks by year 2010.[1][2] A Dutch school in Nijmegen has been doing advanced experiments with these spider's webs of which the results are to be announced early June 2011.
Nephila clavata in folklore
Jorōgumo is a legendary creature in Japanese folklore. A Jorōgumo is a spider which can change its appearance into that of a beautiful woman. She attracts men, and once a man has been trapped as a result of her seduction, he will be tied up and eaten by her.
Gallery
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Female shown on a web at a military base in Aibano, Japan.
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Female spider eating a ladybug in South Korea.
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Nephila clavata web on electric power cable (Tanabe, Wakayama, in October 2007)
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Female spider in Rikugien.
Notes
References
- Platnick, Norman I. (2009): The world spider catalog, version 9.5. American Museum of Natural History.
External links
Categories:- Nephilidae
- Spiders of Asia
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