Nephilingis borbonica explained

Nephilingis borbonica is an nephilid spider from Réunion. It was once thought to also inhabit Madagascar and other nearby islands, however these were determined in 2011 to be a different species, Nephilingis livida, while specimens from Mauritius were placed in the new species Nephilingis dodo.^[1]

Anatomy

Female

The color of the abdomen ranges from striking bright red to whitish-red, with larger specimens displaying a brighter red. Total length ranges from about 14 to 22mm.^[1]

Male

Males' total length ranges from about 4 to 6 mm. They have a yellow-brown prosoma, and a gray abdomen with white pigment dots.^[1]

Distribution

N. borbonica occurs in Réunion, and were observed in cloud forests at up to 1,500 m elevation .^[2]

Name

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

Notes and References

1. Kuntner & Agnarsson 2011: Biogeography and diversification of hermit spiders on Indian Ocean islands (Nephilidae: Nephilengys). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 59:477–488.
2. Matjaž Kuntner . 2007 . A monograph of Nephilingis, the pantropical 'hermit spiders' (Araneae, Nephilidae, Nephilinae) . . 32 . 1 . 95–135 . 10.1111/j.1365-3113.2006.00348.x .