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New Spder Found...Largest Web Spinner
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10-23-2009, 08:46 PM
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CarmenSanches
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Oct 2005
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A spider larger than any other web-spinning species on record has been found in South Africa. The species
Nephila komaci
is a member of the golden orb weaver family, and was identified as a new species after being found in a nature reserve.
The females have a body length of 3.8cm and a leg span of 10-12cm. The males are tiny by comparison — about five times smaller.
The authors of the paper, published in the journal
PLoS One
, had previously examined two specimens of the giant spider in museum collections in South Africa and Vienna. However, it was not clear whether the specimens belonged to a new species or were simply unusually large hybrids of existing spiders.
The discovery of three live spiders — a male and two females — in the Tembe National Elephant Park in South Africa, confirmed the new species.
Golden orb weavers are known for their large webs, which often exceed 1m in diameter, and for the big disparity between male and female body size. Golden orb weavers are the largest spiders to spin webs, although other breeds such as Goliath bird-eating spiders and tarantulas are even bigger.
The new species was named after Professor Kuntner’s friend Andreij Komac, who died in an accident at the time of the discoveries.
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