| 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 | |
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]
The abdomen is strikingly white. Females reach a length of about 23mm. [2]
Only 5 to 6 mm in length, males have a grey abdomen with white spots and a yellow-brown sternum. [2]
N. dodo is endemic to Mauritius, where it inhabits the native forests. [2]
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]
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