Nephilengys malabarensis

Nephilengys malabarensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Nephilidae
Genus:	Nephilengys
Species:	N. malabarensis
Binomial name
Nephilengys malabarensis (Walckenaer, 1842)
Synonyms
Epeira malabarensis Epeira anama Epeira malabarica Epeira rhodosternon Nephila rivulata Nephilengys schmeltzii Nephilengys hofmanni Nephila urna Nephila malabarensis Nephilengys rainbowi Metepeira andamanensis

Nephilengys malabarensis is a nephilid spider.

Females reach a body length of about 15 mm. The legs and palp are annulated yellow and black. Male body size less than 5 mm, with mostly grey-black legs ^[1].

N. malabarensis is being preyed upon by the spider-eating jumping spider Portia ^[1].

Name

The species name malabarensis refers to the Malabar coast of southern India, where it was first found.

Distribution

N. malabarensis occurs in South, South-East and East Asia from India and Sri Lanka to the Philippines, north to Yunnan, China, north-east to Saga and Kompira, Japan and east to Ambon Island of Indonesia. It is common at human dwellings and less common in rainforest. The Niah population (at the moment still recognized as a separate species, N. niahensis) inhabits cave entrances. The Australian and New Guinean populations will be separated under the name Nephilengys papuana soon ^[1].

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} 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. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-3113.2006.00348.x.