[Fsfkkkjz]

Move over Spider-Man. Scientists have discovered the remains of a new species of spider the size of a CD, making it the largest known web-slinger around.
The spider, classified as a new species of golden orb-weaver, is known as Nephila komaci, reports Live Science. Its remains have been found throughout South Africa -- in museum collections as well as in the Tembe Elephant Park.
A live specimen has yet to be discovered, prompting many scientists to believe that either these spiders are endangered or that they dwell far up in treetops.
With a body length of 1.5 inches and a leg span of 4 to 5 inches, the female N. komaci is the largest web-producing spider in existence, slightly bigger than other spiders in the Nephila genus, says the report.
According to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the largest spider in the world is Theraphosa blondi, a goliath bird eater with a leg span of up to 10 inches that does not spin webs.
Jonathan Coddington of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and Matjaž Kuntner of the Institute of Biology of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts describe the N. komaci discovery - as well as the gigantism that has evolved in Nephila females - in the Oct. 21 issue of the journal PLoS ONE.
“The problem with becoming bigger is it takes you longer to do it. You have to eat and eat. The longer you put off sexual maturity, the more likely it is you will die,” Coddington told Live Science. “But if you're willing to take risks, you can become enormous and have thousands of eggs.”
Female Nephila evolved to a large size not only to carry more eggs, but to overcome a predator of the eggs as well. Some female Nephila spiders can even snag birds, bats and lizards, the report stated. Males, on the other hand, have never evolved past a modest size.
“Males are staying small because they can get away with it. If all you have to do is inseminate somebody and it doesn't matter how big you are, your best strategy is to become an adult as fast as you can,” Coddington told Live Science.
Scientists studying the species’ sexual evolution were surprised to find that intercourse left the males castrated and the females unable to remate.
“Males stick their business end up the females and then they break it off, and in doing so, they plug the female,” Coddington told Live Science.
The scientists then evaluated male Nephila pedipalps, the appendage used for sperm transfer, and discovered a humiliating truth - males where loosing sexual competency.
“These guys have long, whippy pedipalps, and over evolutionary time, they seem to be gradually losing the ability to plug up females,” Coddington told Live Science.

[CarmenSanches]

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.

[singleGirl]

Eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww

[icyfreshy]

that is so cooooooool.

[ToifvT5S]

Eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww

you find it ew I don't. I am not like other girls who are so scared of a bug or arachnid.

[robinthesearchmasterh]

Holy shit that's huge..

[inmeirulez]

Oh my gawd................................

[ovH9wfSJ]

hmmmmmmm.......i want to get pictures

[indianstory]

Gross!!!

[Wachearex]

hmmmmmmm.......i want to get pictures

[blogforloversxx]

Cool


There was something about red back spiders on the news yesterday.

The male has to strum her web for at LEAST 100 minutes before she will let him do the deed...any less and she will eat him

Othe male red backs will wait on the outer parts of her web for the first "drummer" to finish, and...if they're lucky....she will let them do the deed too (without eating them)

How cool....all the "lazy male" redbacks letting the Alpha male do all the strumming