#bird dropping spider

[onenicebugperday]

Common bird-dropping spider, Celaenia excavata, Araneidae

Found in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand

Photos 1-2 by simongrove and 3 (female with egg sacs) by smellydemon

[onenicebugperday]

Bugs under UV light series by Nicky Bay // Website // Facebook

Photos shared with permission; do not remove credit or re-post!

1. Stick insect, Necroscia punctata 2. Archduke caterpillar, Lexias pardalis dirteana 3. Bird dropping spider, Pasilobus sp. 4. Katydid, Chondroderella borneensis 5. Fungus weevil, Acorynus sp. 6. Huntsman spider, Gnathopalystes sp. 7. Tortoise beetle, Aspidomorpha sp. 8. Harvestman, Acromares vittatum or Erginulus clavotibialis 9. Leaf katydid, Tettigoniidae 10. Millipede, Diplopoda

[onenicebugperday]

Marbled bird-dropping spider, Celaenia calotoides, Araneidae

Found primarily in eastern Australia

Photos 1-2 by d_kurek, 3-7 by paul2george, and 8-10 by laz

[ligayagardener]

A piece of bird poo? Look again...

One of my favourite discoveries in the garden, this year has been the Bird Dropping Spider (Celaenia excavata) that has made it’s home on our White Sapote. Looks like bird poo to me! I discovered her by accident when I was cleaning a few leaves from bird poo while getting ready for the Mannum Gardening Club to visit. I’m assuming she’s a her because of the size of the body. I could be wrong but…

View On WordPress

[mucholderthen]

Bird dung Crab Spider The pictures tell the story.  

This group of spiders has evolved to resemble a pile of bird dung. Or, in any case, something natural but  very unspider-like.

Insects come to investigate. The spider, sitting scrunched up on a leaf or branch, not looking at all like a spider (and without a web), ambushes its prey. _______________________________

According to the photographers, these pictures are of two species of genus Phrynarachne, which belongs to the spider family Thomisidae.  

Crab spider is a common name applied loosely to many species of spiders, but most nearly consistently to members of the family Thomisidae. ... ... Some species frequent promising positions among leaves or bark, where they await prey, and some of them will sit in the open, where they are startlingly good mimics of bird droppings. However, note that these members of the family Thomisidae are not to be confused with the spiders that generally are called bird dropping spiders, not all of which are close relatives of crab spiders.  [Wikipedia]

I checked out other online spider resources, but sorting out south Asian and African spiders appears to be really kind of complicated. And, imho, beyond the limits of a Tumblr post. _______________________________

[1-2] Picture: Science Photo Library / Rex Features   (source)

[3-4] Photograph: Andy Pang  [Tawau, Malaysia]         Andy @ Pang Ket Vui ( shootx2 )