''Nephilingis borbonica'' is an
araneid spider from
Réunion.
[ It was once thought to also inhabit ]Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
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
''Nephilingis dodo'' is an araneid spider endemic to Mauritius. It was found to be separate from the related species ''Nephilingis borbonica'' in 2011.Kuntner & Agnarsson 2011Biogeography and diversification of hermit spiders on Indian Ocean isl ...
''.[Kuntner & Agnarsson 2011]
Biogeography and diversification of hermit spiders on Indian Ocean islands (Nephilidae: Nephilengys)
''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 59:477–488.
Anatomy
Female
The color of the abdomen
The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...
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.
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2603047
Araneidae
Spiders of Réunion
Spiders described in 1863