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Project Noah Nature School
Nephila pilipes
Very similar to nephila pilipes, only lacking the longitudinal stripes. Also it has red legs. It still has the pilipe features of the two longitudinal stripes along the abdomen dorsal, which are just visible and the yellow spots behind the knees.
The underside is lacking the array of spots that standard pilipes has. The yellow spots at the root of all the legs is vaguely visible, but a feint reddish color. The lateral stripe just in front of the epigynum is missing. The spinnerets on standard pilipes are red, but on this morph they are dark brown, almost black.
On the top view, the lateral stripe at the front of the abdomen is still present and yellow, as are the two longitudinal yellow stripes (just visible in one of the images).
On the sides, the longitudinal striations of yellow dashes are missing, replaced by a orange/yellow leathery striation look.
At the front of the abdomen, just behind the carapace (thorax), like standard pilipes, there is a lateral stripe, yellow in color on both versions. On this morph however, the stripe extends around the sides for a short distance and is edged in black. This exists on standard pilipes, but is less obvious and forms part of the longitudinal striations mentioned above.
On the carapace, the standard pilipes is covered in a golden stubble. This stubble is vaguely present on the morph, but almost all worn away.
Because of the many similarities with standard pilipes, I have decided to label this specimen as pilipes, but it is up for discussion. This image should be viewed in conjunction with a more recent spotting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/303...
Adjacent to a small stream. Altitude 900m.
This spider was high up in a tree and I was unable to get the dorsal view.
Spotted on Jul 6, 2012
Submitted on Jul 10, 2013
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