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Nephilengys papuana
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Fact Box
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| Species: |
Nephilengys papuana (QM)
(see notes below)
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| Family: |
Araneidae
(like the Nephila genus, Nephilengys has been in Tetragnathidae and Nephilidae
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| Body length: |
female: about 22 mm
male: 5 mm
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| Habitat: |
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In a reasonably large web suspended from walls or tree trunks; the small male may be seen on the edge of the web
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| Toxicity: |
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Unknown so handle with caution
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Nephilengys papuana is quite similar in overall body and leg shape to the more common Nephila species but the female lacks the brushes on the legs that characterise Nephila edulis and its relatives. The surface markings of this species are also distinctive.
The spider shown on this page was originally labelled Nephilengys malabarensis, which is said to be common in India and South-East Asia but is not shown in the
World Spider Catalog for any part of Australia. This name was assigned because the markings on the spider were so similar
to those published by Valerie Davies in 1988.
Known Range: Nephilengys papuana is now being claimed as being present in
Papua-New Guinea and Northern Australia. Since the images shown on this page are of a specimen found in rainforest at Noosa on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland it is
likely that this spider is actually N. papuana.
Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: None.
Email Ron Atkinson for more information.
Last updated 3 January 2022.
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