Nephilingis livida

Nephilingis livida is an nephilid spider from Madagascar and nearby islands.^[1] It was found to be separate from the related species Nephilingis borbonica in 2011^[2]

Nephilingis livida
Female
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Infraorder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Nephilidae
Genus:	Nephilingis
Species:	N. livida
Binomial name
Nephilingis livida (Vinson, 1863)[1]
Synonyms[1]
Epeira livida Nephilengys cruentata livida Nephilengys borbonica livida

Etymology

The species name is derived from Latin "lividus", which can mean "malicious" as well as "bluish".

Description

The color of the female's abdomen ranges from creamy to brown, blue or purple, with a dark brown venter. Females reach a length of about 15 to 24mm^[2] Males only reach a length of 3 to 5 mm and have a yellow-brown sternum and a grey abdomen with white dots.^[2]

Distribution

N. livida occurs in Madagascar and surrounding islands, such as the Comoro Islands and Seychelles (including the Aldabra atoll). They are common in human dwellings in Madagascar.