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Nephilid spiders: Database of world collections
The current version of the database created in BIOTA (http://viceroy.eeb.uconn.edu/biota) contains precise specimen, museum and georeferenced locality information for three out of four nephilid spider genera (see www.nephilidae.com): the genus Clitaetra with six species inhabiting Africa and Indian Ocean islands to Sri Lanka, the genus Herennia with eleven species in Australasia from India to Solomon Islands, and the genus Nephilenygs with four species in the tropics worldwide. For methods of study, museum information, taxonomic species diagnostics with illustrated descriptions, and sources of funding for this research, see the three published nephilid spider monographs (Kuntner, 2005, 2006, 2007). The database, currently at over a thousand specimens, will be updated to include specimen information on the largest nephilid genus, Nephila, with another several thousand entries, upon publication of a taxonomic monograph currently in preparation (for preliminary information on Nephila, see Kuntner et al., 2008; Kuntner & Coddington, 2009). Any queries? Contact the database author.
Author: Asst. Prof. Matjaž Kuntner, PhD
Period of creating: since 2000
Caretaker: Asst. Prof. Matjaž Kuntner, PhD
