Common Name: Joro Spider
Scientific Name: Trichonephila clavata
Family: Nephilidae
Size: Female: 17–25 mm, Males: 7–10 mm
Location: Pokhara, Nepal

The Joro spider (Trichonephila clavata) is a large orb-weaving spider found across parts of Asia, including Nepal. It constructs strong, often golden-hued spiral webs stretched between trees, shrubs, and occasionally man-made structures. In Nepal, it is typically encountered in forest edges, gardens, and agricultural areas within the mid-hill zone, generally ranging from about 300 to 2,000 meters in elevation.

This species is strongly sexually dimorphic. Females are significantly larger, measuring around 17–25 mm, with a striking yellow, elongated abdomen marked by dark to bluish transverse bands. Their long black legs are decorated with yellow bands and small hair tufts, giving them a distinctive appearance. Males are much smaller (around 7–10 mm), more slender, and relatively plain brown in colour, and are often found living on the periphery of the female’s web.

As an orb-weaver, this spider relies on its web to capture flying insects and plays a useful ecological role in regulating insect populations in its habitat.

Please feel free to comment below if the above species has been misidentified.

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