Nephilengys borbonica

Nephilengys borbonica
female N. borbonica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Nephilidae
Genus:	Nephilengys
Species:	N. borbonica
Binomial name
Nephilengys borbonica (Vinson, 1863)
Synonyms
Epeira borbonica Nephila instigans Nephila cruentata borbonica

Nephilengys borbonica is a nephilid spider from Madagascar and nearby islands ^[1].

Anatomy

The color of the abdomen ranges from dark grey to brown or purple. While the sternum is not red in most specimens, it is so in some females from Madagascar, and all studied females from the Comoro Islands. Female abdomen color Madagascar ranges from white though creamy brown to purple, while those of Mauritius are white, and ones from Réunion are red ^[1].

Females length ranges from 15 mm to 24 mm in Madagascar; females from Mauritius and Réunion tend to be smaller, with lengths up to 18 mm. Male body length ranges from 3 mm to 5 mm ^[1].

Distribution

N. borbonica occurs in Madagascar and surrounding islands, such as the Mascarene Islands, Comoro Islands and Seychelles (including the Aldabra atoll). They are common in human dwellings in Madagascar, and were observed in cloud forests at up to 1,500 m elevation in Réunion ^[1].

Name

The species name borbonica refers to the island Réunion near Madagascar, which was called "Bourbon" until 1848.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Matjaž Kuntner (2007). "A monograph of Nephilengys, the pantropical 'hermit spiders' (Araneae, Nephilidae, Nephilinae)". Systematic Entomology 32 (1): 95–135. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2006.00348.x. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-3113.2006.00348.x.