Nephilidae

Nephilidae is a spider family with 75 described species in four genera. The various genera in Nephilidae were formerly grouped in the families Araneidae and Tetragnathidae. The genus Singafrotypa was moved to Araneidae in 2002.

All nephilid genera partially renew their webs.

Distribution

The family has a pan-tropical distribution: species of Nephilia, in particular, are found in tropical and subtropical environments in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Reproductive behavior

The genera Herennia and Nephilengys have both undergone extreme sexually driven selection. The pedipalps of these genera have become highly derived by evolving enlarged, complex palps which break off inside of the females' copulatory openings after copulation. The broken palps serve as mating plugs, which makes future matings with a mated female more difficult. These genera of spiders also participate in mate guarding; a mated male will stand guard by his female and chase off other males, thereby increasing the mated male's paternity share. Mated males are castrated in the process of mate plugging, though this may be an advantage in mate guarding, as mated males have been observed to fight more aggressively and win more frequently than virgin males. So while the female spiders are still polyamorous, the males have become monogamous.