Alaska Crab Fungus Spider
The abdomen of this rare and distinctive Phrynarachne is adorned with numerous pairs of elongated tubercles, possibly mimicking the growth of fungus to attract potential prey. The first two pairs of tibiae are strongly arched, more so than other Phrynarachne in Southeast Asia.
| Etymology | The specific name comes from the Latin word brevis (short), referring to the very short VTA, adjective. |
| Length | ♀ 17 mm; ♂ Unknown. |
| Habitat | Foliage of roadside. |
| Type Locality | China. |
| Distribution | China, Malaysia (Sabah). |
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Holotype
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS), Beijing, China; ♂ (Ar18535) (Lin et al., 2022b)
Phrynarachne brevis (Original description ♂)
Tang & Li, 2010b Crab spiders from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China (Araneae, Thomisidae): 49, f. 35A-D, 36A-B doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2703.1.1
Phrynarachne brevis (Original description ♀)
Lin et al., 2022b Taxonomic notes on the genus Phrynarachne from China (Araneae, Thomisidae): 71, f. 1A, 6A-B, 18A doi:10.3897/zookeys.1085.77966
Nontype ♀
7 Nov 2014
Danum Valley, Sabah
5°1'23"N, 117°44'54"E
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Catalog No: JK.14.11.07.0001
China, Malaysia (Sabah).