Horned Bird Dropping Spider
The female differs from that of P. ceylonica by its more bulky body and the twin cones on the cephalic region. The abdomen has a short median streak and numerous conical protuberances, including a larger pair on both sides of the central streak. Its robust femora and tibiae may have varying colours and contrasting patterns, but never bright yellow as in P. ceylonica. Females exist in different colour morphs and young females may change colours as they mature.
| Length | ♀ 9–13 mm; ♂ 3–4 mm |
| Type Locality | Originally described as an "EastIndian spider", Type locality uncertain, India |
| Distribution | Singapore, Malaysia (Sabah), India. |
| Habitat | On herbs and grasses in shady edges of open scrubland and margins of primary and secondary forest. |
| Biology | The female sits on the upper surface of leaves at dawn and will hide under foliage as sun rises. The male rides on its back for some days as a part of their mating ritual. |
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Araneae (Spiders)
Suborder Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)
Thomisus tuberosus (Original description ♀)
Blackwall, 1864b Descriptions of seven new species of East Indian spiders received from the Rev: 38 doi:10.1080/00222936408681653
Ornithoscatoides tuberosa (Original description ♀)
O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1884a On two new genera of spiders: 200, pl. 15, f. 2 doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1884.tb02819.x
Phrynarachne tuberosa
Simon, 1895a Histoire naturelle des araignées. Deuxième édition, tome premier: 1045 doi:10.5962/bhl.title.51973
Phrynarachne tuberosa (♀)
Roy et al., 2010 Resurrection of the endemic bird dung crab spiders, Phrynarachne Thorell (Araneae: Thomisidae) of 19th century India: 544, f. 1-6, 14
* Retrieved from the World Spider Catalog.
Singapore, Malaysia (Sabah), India.