Kingdom Animalia Class Arachnida Suborder Araneomorphae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Araneae Family Nephilidae | |
Similar Nephilengys papuana, Nephilengys borbonica, Clitaetra, Nephilengys cruentata, Nephilengys malabarensis | ||
Nephilengys dodo is a nephilid spider endemic to Mauritius. It was found to be separate from the related species Nephilengys borbonica in 2011
Contents
Female
The abdomen is strikingly white. Females reach a length of about 23mm.
Male
Males only reach a length of 5 to 6 mm, with a yellow-brown sternum and a grey abdomen with white dots.
Distribution
N. dodo is endemic to Mauritius, where it inhabits the native forests.
Name
Named after the vernacular of the extinct flightless bird from Mauritius, the dodo (Raphus cucullatus). These two species once shared their habitat, the increasingly rare native forests in Mauritius. The specific name, a noun in apposition, is meant to increase awareness of the need for urgent conservation of the Mauritius biota.
References
Nephilengys dodo Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA