Nephila komaci
Encyclopedia
Nephila komaci is a species of golden orb-web spider. It is the largest web
-spinning spider known. A few specimens have been found in South Africa
and Madagascar
.
museum collection in 2000. The species is named in honor of Andrej Komac, a late friend of one of the arachnologists
who reported its discovery in 2009. It was not discovered in the wild until 2007, when it was located in Tembe Elephant Park
in South Africa
.
It was the first Nephilid spider to be discovered in more than a century. The previous member of the genus was discovered by Friedrich Karsch
in 1879, other descriptions after that being synonyms.
s: Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany
and Madagascar. Its only definitive current habitat is a sand forest in Tembe Elephant Park, which is in itself endangered.
commonly observed in various species of spiders, the size of a male reaches a leg span of only about 2.5 centimetres, with a body length of about 9 mm, roughly one fifth of that of a female. The tip-to-tip leg span of a female is about 12 cm (body length c. 4 cm), with a web that is equally impressive in size, measuring more than a metre in diameter.
, and immediately afterwards inseminate
her, breaking off their genitalia
within the female, which thereby acts as a plug to prevent other males from mating
with her. The now sterile male then spends the rest of his life (life span: about one year) driving away other males. Nevertheless, females with several dismembered male organs within them have been found.
Spider web
A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web or cobweb is a device built by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets....
-spinning spider known. A few specimens have been found in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
.
Discovery
This species was first identified in a PretoriaPretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
museum collection in 2000. The species is named in honor of Andrej Komac, a late friend of one of the arachnologists
Arachnology
Arachnology is the scientific study of spiders and related animals such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, collectively called arachnids. However, the study of ticks and mites is sometimes not included in arachnology, but is called Acarology...
who reported its discovery in 2009. It was not discovered in the wild until 2007, when it was located in Tembe Elephant Park
Tembe Elephant Park
Tembe Elephant Park is a 300km² game reserve in Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is adjacent to Ndumo Game Reserve.The park was developed by Tembe Tribal Authority and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife....
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
It was the first Nephilid spider to be discovered in more than a century. The previous member of the genus was discovered by Friedrich Karsch
Friedrich Karsch
Ferdinand Karsch or Karsch-Haack was a German arachnologist, entomologist and anthropologist....
in 1879, other descriptions after that being synonyms.
Distribution
All known localities lie within two endangered biodiversity hotspotBiodiversity hotspot
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans.The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist” , revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others in...
s: Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany
Albany, South Africa
Albany, South Africa was a district in the Eastern Cape, South Africa...
and Madagascar. Its only definitive current habitat is a sand forest in Tembe Elephant Park, which is in itself endangered.
Description
N. komaci females are the largest Nephila yet discovered. Displaying sexual size dimorphismSexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
commonly observed in various species of spiders, the size of a male reaches a leg span of only about 2.5 centimetres, with a body length of about 9 mm, roughly one fifth of that of a female. The tip-to-tip leg span of a female is about 12 cm (body length c. 4 cm), with a web that is equally impressive in size, measuring more than a metre in diameter.
Reproduction
Males wait for a female to moltEcdysis
Ecdysis is the moulting of the cuticula in many invertebrates. This process of moulting is the defining feature of the clade Ecdysozoa, comprising the arthropods, nematodes, velvet worms, horsehair worms, rotifers, tardigrades and Cephalorhyncha...
, and immediately afterwards inseminate
Insemination
Insemination is the deliberate introduction of sperm into the uterus of a mammal or the oviduct of an oviparous animal for the objective of impregnating a female for reproduction...
her, breaking off their genitalia
Sex organ
A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, as narrowly defined, is any of the anatomical parts of the body which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in a complex organism; flowers are the reproductive organs of flowering plants, cones are the reproductive...
within the female, which thereby acts as a plug to prevent other males from mating
Mating
In biology, mating is the pairing of opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for copulation. In social animals, it also includes the raising of their offspring. Copulation is the union of the sex organs of two sexually reproducing animals for insemination and subsequent internal fertilization...
with her. The now sterile male then spends the rest of his life (life span: about one year) driving away other males. Nevertheless, females with several dismembered male organs within them have been found.