Kingdom Animalia Class Arachnida Suborder Araneomorphae Scientific name Nephilengys borbonica | Phylum Arthropoda Order Araneae Family Nephilidae Rank Species | |
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Similar Nephilengys, Nephilengys papuana, Nephilengys cruentata, Clitaetra, Nephilengys malabarensis | ||
Nephilengys borbonica is a 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, Nephilengys livida, while specimens from Mauritius were placed in the new species Nephilengys dodo.
Contents
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.
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.
Distribution
N. borbonica occurs in Réunion, and were observed in cloud forests at up to 1,500 m elevation .
Name
The species name borbonica refers to the island Réunion near Madagascar, which was called "Bourbon" until 1848.