Nephilingis dodo is an nephilid spider endemic to Mauritius.[1] It was found to be separate from the related species Nephilingis borbonica in 2011.[2]
| Nephilingis dodo | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Nephilidae |
| Genus: | Nephilingis |
| Species: | N. dodo
|
| Binomial name | |
| Nephilingis dodo | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Nephilengys dodo | |
Anatomy edit
Female edit
The abdomen is strikingly white. Females reach a length of about 23mm.[2]
Male edit
Only 5 to 6 mm in length, males have a grey abdomen with white spots and a yellow-brown sternum.[2]
Distribution edit
N. dodo is endemic to Mauritius, where it inhabits the native forests.[2]
Name edit
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.[2]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Taxon details Nephilingis dodo (Kuntner & Agnarsson, 2011)", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2017-05-12
- ^ a b c d e Kuntner & Agnarsson 2011: Biogeography and diversification of hermit spiders on Indian Ocean islands (Nephilidae: Nephilengys). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 59:477-488.
- Matjaž Kuntner (2007). "A monograph of Nephilengys, the pantropical 'hermit spiders' (Araneae, Nephilidae, Nephilinae)". Systematic Entomology. 32 (1): 95–135. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2006.00348.x.
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