Even-More-Gigantic Giant Orb Spider Discovered

[The Straight Story]

Even-More-Gigantic Giant Orb Spider Discovered

Scientists have found the world’s largest species of golden orb-weaver spider in the tropics of Africa and Madagascar. The discovery marks the first identification of a new Nephila spider since 1879.

Females of the new species, Nephila komaci, measure a whopping 4 to 5 inches in diameter, while the male spiders stay petite at less than a quarter of their mate’s size. So far, only a handful of these enormous arachnids have been found in the world.

“We fear the species might be endangered, as its only definite habitat is a sand forest in Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal,” ecologist Jonathan Coddington of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History said in a press release. “Our data suggest that the species is not abundant, its range is restricted, and all known localities lie within two endangered biodiversity hotspots: Maputaland and Madagascar.”

The first potential specimen of the new species was uncovered by Coddington and his colleague Matjaz Kuntner of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2000. They found a huge female orb-weaver among a museum collection of spiders in Pretoria, South Africa, and she didn’t match the description of any known spider. Although they hoped the unusual-looking giant represented a new species, several dedicated expeditions to South Africa failed to find any live spiders of a similar description.



http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/giant-spider/

[tblue]

1. Shelob lives!!!

Run, Frodo, run!

[amitten]

2. Yay! n/t

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. Can't wait for the inevitable "tourist brings one back in luggage" story....

...well, one and an EGG SACK...

I'm thinking Sam Raimi would be a good director for the film adaptation, with Bruce Campbell starring.

"Arachnophobia II: Rumble In The Jungle"

:rofl:

[Quantess]

4. The males are only 1/4 the size of the females?

Those females are some BBW. Is it proper to call these male spiders "chubby chasers?" :D

[sohndrsmith]

5. is that measurement body size or leg-span (from toe to toe, for want of a better definition)...

we had summer spiders in our garden that were huge (and beautiful! Yellow/black striped with orange/red/white accents... webs were usually a foot or more wide - and in obvious places, didn't try to hide) their abdomens somewhere between a pea and a grape - chickpea/garbanzo bean size would be most accurate... but then there was the thorax/head, too) - leg span probably about 3 inches.... I was told they were harmless. Then again, I was a kid. : )

[canetoad]

6. Extremely cool

Spiders are wondrous beings. If they ruled the world it would be a more equitable place.