Nephila clavipes has the large size and the long legs with clumps of hair that are typical of the genus. It is large compared to most other members of the genus, and is distinguished by the bright colors of the female abdomen, which changes colour as the spider matures. As is usual among orb-weavers, there is marked sexual dimorphism in general appearance, but especially in size; in linear measurements males are three to four times smaller than females, and they also are more slenderly built. This implies a mass some thirty to seventy times smaller than that of a large female.