I live in São Paulo, Brazil, and my interest on biology and nature comes mostly from one species: Trichonephila clavipes. Every summer they appear everywhere and it’s normally impossible to leave home without coming across their beatiful golden-silk webs.
However, this summer I have been unable to find any adults! They usually occur even in urban areas such as trees, road signs, lamps, so I should have seen them around my house. And by this time of year there should already be plenty of adults around
Is anyone else in Latin America having this same trouble? Are these beautiful spiders gone this summer? Does anyone know possible causes?