Nephilengys borbonica
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 female N. borbonica
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| Nephilengys borbonica (Vinson, 1863) |
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Epeira borbonica |
Nephilengys borbonica is a nephilid spider from Madagascar and nearby islands.[1]
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[edit] 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 to 24mm in Madagascar; females from Mauritius and Réunion tend to be smaller, with lengths up to 18mm. Male body length ranges from 3 to 5mm.[1]
[edit] 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 1,500m elevation in Réunion.[1]
[edit] Name
The species name borbonica refers to the island Réunion near Madagascar, which was called "Bourbon" until 1848.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Kuntner, M (in print). A monograph of Nephilengys, the pantropical 'hermit spiders' (Araneae, Nephilidae, Nephilinae). Systematic Entomology 32(1):xx-xx. Abstract - DOI:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2006.00348.x [Unpublished for the purposes of zoological nomenclature (Art. 8.2. ICZN)]
