Nephilingis

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Nephilingis
Big spider in Mozambique.JPG
Female Nephilingis cruentata in Mozambique
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Nephilidae
Genus: Nephilingis
Kuntner, 2013 [1]
Diversity [1]
4 species

Nephilingis is a genus of spiders in the family Nephilidae. [1] It was split off from the genus Nephilengys in 2006. Both genera have been called hermit spiders from the habit of staying in their retreats during the day; [2] alternatively the name "hermit spider" may be reserved for Nephilingis, with Nephilengys species called "eunuch spiders". [3]

Contents

Description

Females of species in the genus Nephilingis are large spiders, with a body length of 16–28 mm (0.63–1.10 in). The epigynum is wider than long, without a central septum or anterior rim – distinguishing them from females of Nephilengys. Males are considerably smaller. The conductor of the palpal bulb is short, wide and spiraled. Species of Nephilingis, like those of Nephilengys, build large asymmetric webs on trees with a hiding retreat in which they hide during the day. The webs make use of branches and similar supports but are mainly aerial, contrasting with those of other nephiline species, whose webs follow the contours of the tree trunk. [2] [3]

Taxonomy

The genus Nephilingis was erected by Matjaž Kuntner in 2013. In 1872, Ludwig Koch created the genus Nephilengys . [4] In 2013, based on phylogenetic studies, Kuntner and co-workers split Nephilengys into two genera. Four species were moved to the newly erected genus Nephilingis, with two species being left in Nephilengys. Nephilingis is differentiated from Nephilengys by the shapes of the female epigynum and the male palpal bulb. [3]

Koch placed the original genus Nephilengys in the family Araneidae. [5] In 1894, Eugène Simon erected the subfamily Nephilinae within the Araneidae for Nephila and related genera, including Nephilengys. This classification was used until the late 20th century, when cladistic studies initially suggested that nephilines belonged in the Tetragnathidae, although this was later refuted. When Kuntner split Nephilengys in 2006, he raised the nephilines from a subfamily to the family Nephilidae. Molecular phylogenetic studies from 2004 onwards consistently placed nephilids within Araneidae. Accordingly in 2016, Dimitar Dimitrov et al. returned them to their traditional position as a subfamily of Araneidae. [6]

Species

As of May 2017, the World Spider Catalog accepted the following species: [1]

Distribution

Nephilingis is primarily a tropical African species, including islands off mainland Africa in the western Indian Ocean. The dispersal of Nephilingis cruentata to South America is believed to be relatively recent. [3]

Related Research Articles

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Orb-weaver spiders are members of the spider family Araneidae. They are the most common group of builders of spiral wheel-shaped webs often found in gardens, fields, and forests. The English word "orb" can mean "circular", hence the English name of the group. Araneids have eight similar eyes, hairy or spiny legs, and no stridulating organs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spider taxonomy</span> Science of naming, defining and classifying spiders

Spider taxonomy is that part of taxonomy that is concerned with the science of naming, defining and classifying all spiders, members of the Araneae order of the arthropod class Arachnida with more than 48,500 described species. However, there are likely many species that have escaped the human eye to this day, and many specimens stored in collections waiting to be described and classified. It is estimated that only one third to one half of the total number of existing species have been described.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haplogynae</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entelegynae</span> Clade of spiders

The Entelegynae or entelegynes are a subgroup of araneomorph spiders, the largest of the two main groups into which the araneomorphs were traditionally divided. Females have a genital plate (epigynum) and a "flow through" fertilization system; males have complex palpal bulbs. Molecular phylogenetic studies have supported the monophyly of Entelegynae.

Nephilengys is a genus of tropical spiders of the family Nephilidae, consisting of two currently described species. The genus Nephilingis has been split off from this genus. Both genera have been called hermit spiders from the habit staying in their retreats during the day; the name eunuch spiders has been used for Nephilengys alone. Males may sever parts of their palpal bulbs after copulation.

<i>Herennia</i> Genus of spiders

Herennia is a genus of spiders in the family Nephilidae, found from India to northern Australia. While two species have been known since the 19th century, nine new species were described in 2005. Spiders in this genus are sometimes called coin spiders.

<i>Nephilingis cruentata</i> Species of spider

Nephilingis cruentata is an nephilid spider with a strikingly red sternum.

<i>Nephilingis borbonica</i> Species of spider

Nephilingis borbonica is an 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, Nephilingis livida, while specimens from Mauritius were placed in the new species Nephilingis dodo.

<i>Nephilengys malabarensis</i> Species of spider

Nephilengys malabarensis is an nephilid spider.

<i>Nephilengys papuana</i> Species of spider

Nephilengys papuana is a species of nephilid spider.

<i>Phonognatha</i> Genus of spiders

Phonognatha is a genus of South Pacific orb-weaver spiders first described by Eugène Simon in 1895. It was originally placed with the long-jawed orb weavers, and was moved to Araneidae in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darwin's bark spider</span> Species of spider

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<i>Nephilingis livida</i> Species of spider

Nephilingis livida is an nephilid spider from Madagascar and nearby islands. It was found to be separate from the related species Nephilingis borbonica in 2011

Nephilingis dodo is an nephilid spider endemic to Mauritius. It was found to be separate from the related species Nephilingis borbonica in 2011.

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Nephilidae is a spider family commonly referred to as golden orb-weavers. The various genera in Nephilidae were formerly placed in Tetragnathidae and Araneidae. All nephilid genera partially renew their webs.

Mastophora extraordinaria is a species of spider in the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae. It is found in South America. Like some other species of the genus Mastophora, adult females resemble bird droppings. Mastophora species, including M. extraordinaria, are "bolas spiders" – adult females capture their prey by using a sticky drop on the end of a single line which they swing at the target, usually a male moth attracted by the release of an analogue of the attractant sex pheromone produced by the female moth. Juveniles and adult males do not use a bolas, catching prey with their legs alone.

<i>Cyrtarachne inaequalis</i> Species of spider

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<i>Cyrtarachne nagasakiensis</i> Species of spider

Cyrtarachne nagasakiensis is a species of spider in the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae, found in Pakistan, India, China, Korea and Japan. Spiders in the genus Cyrtarachne construct "spanning-thread webs" rather than the more typical orb webs of the family Araneidae. These webs have a small number of radii and instead of a tight spiral of sticky threads, the sticky spanning threads are widely spaced and do not form a spiral. When prey is caught on one of the spanning threads, one end comes loose, and the prey, often a moth, dangles from the other end until hauled in by the spider.

<i>Ordgarius sexspinosus</i> Species of spider

Ordgarius sexspinosus is a species of spider in the orb-weaver spider family Araneidae, found from India to Japan and Indonesia. O. sexspinosus is a bolas spider. Rather than using a web, adult females catch their prey by using a line with one or two sticky drops which they swing.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Gen. Nephilingis Kuntner, 2013", World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2017-05-11
  2. 1 2 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, S2CID   84146620
  3. 1 2 3 4 Kuntner, M.; Arnedo, M.A.; Trontelj, P.; Lokovsek, T. & Agnarsson, I. (2013), "A molecular phylogeny of nephilid spiders: evolutionary history of a model lineage", Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 69 (3): 961–979, doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.06.008, PMID   23811436
  4. "Gen. Nephilengys L. Koch, 1872". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2017-05-12.
  5. Koch, L. (1872), Die Arachniden Australiens, vol. 1 (in German and Latin), Nürnberg: Bauer & Raspe p. 143
  6. Dimitrov, Dimitar; Benavides, Ligia R.; Arnedo, Miquel A.; Giribet, Gonzalo; Griswold, Charles E.; Scharff, Nikolaj & Hormiga, Gustavo (2016), "Rounding up the usual suspects: a standard target-gene approach for resolving the interfamilial phylogenetic relationships of ecribellate orb-weaving spiders with a new family-rank classification (Araneae, Araneoidea)" (PDF), Cladistics, 33 (3): 221–250, doi: 10.1111/cla.12165 , PMID   34715728, S2CID   34962403 , retrieved 2016-10-18