Museum of Science, Boston

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October 29, 2009

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A giant, orb-weaving spider has recently been discovered in Africa and Madagascar. Nephila komaci is notable because the female is five times larger than the male, offering new insight into the evolution of female gigantism. Watch this videocast to find out more.

Reference:

Kuntner M, Coddington JA (2009) "Discovery of the Largest Orbweaving Spider Species: The Evolution of Gigantism in Nephila." PLoS ONE 4(10): e7516. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007516