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Assam has added a species of spider whose web mimics a bird’s excrement to India’s list of arachnids
This is the first record of the Phrynarachne decipiens from India
Phrynarachne decipiens
The Phrynarachne decipiens, better known as the bird dung or bird-dropping crab spider, was known to be distributed in Malaysia and Indonesia’s Java and Sumatra
Phrynarachne consists of 35 species out of which three – P. ceylonica, P. ceeliana, and P. Tuberosa – was found in Assam.
The eight-eyed bird dung crab spider is usually seen lying motionless 1-2 ft above the ground on the upper side of broad leaves.
The chalky white colour of the spider and whitish deposition (its web) on the leaves, looking like bird excreta, make it very difficult to be sighted
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