Nephilengys papuana
| Nephilengys papuana | |
|---|---|
| |
| N. papuana from northern Australia | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Nephilidae |
| Genus: | Nephilengys |
| Species: | N. papuana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Nephilengys papuana | |
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Nephilengys papuana is a species of araneid spider.[1]
The species was previously included in Nephilengys malabarensis as the subspecies N. m. papuana, but is now recognized as a separate species.[1][2]
Female body length is about 17 mm, male length less than 5 mm.
Male spiders apparently self-emasculate after copulation.
"At least in Nephilengys, this strategy enables remote copulation, a continuation of sperm transfer after males are detached from copula, which is an additional mechanism to secure eunuch paternity (Li et al. 2012). Although Nephilengys papuana eunuchs have not been subject to experimental testing, early research reported incidents of post-mating emasculation in this species (Robinson and Robinson 1980) and thus its behavior is likely to closely resemble that of its sister species."[3]
Name
The species name is derived from Papua.
Distribution
The species occurs in New Guinea and tropical Australia (Queensland).[2]
References
- ^ a b c d "Taxon details Nephilengys papuana Thorell, 1881". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Kuntner, Matjaž, et al. "Eunuch supremacy: evolution of post-mating spider emasculation." Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 69.1 (2015): 117-126.
