Phrynarachne rugosa

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Bird-Dung Crab Spider
Phrynarachne rugosa 161934630.jpg
Phrynarachne rugosa 344632139.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Thomisidae
Genus: Phrynarachne
Species:
P. rugosa
Binomial name
Phrynarachne rugosa
(Walckenaer, 1805) [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Thomisus rugosusWalckenaer, 1805
  • Thomisus fokaVinson, 1863
  • Phrynoides fokaSimon, 1864
  • Phrynoides rugosaSimon, 1864
  • Phrynarachne fokaThorell, 1875
  • Phrynarachne vinsoniMello-Leitão, 1929

Phrynarachne rugosa is a species of spider in the family Thomisidae. [2] It is found in Africa and nearby islands and is commonly known as bird-dung crab spider. [3]

Contents

Distribution

Phrynarachne rugosa is found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Réunion. [2]

In South Africa, the species is known from KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. [3] Localities include Richards Bay, Ndumo Game Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve, and Knysna Diepwalle Reserve. [3]

Habitat and ecology

Phrynarachne rugosa inhabits the Fynbos, Forest, and Savanna biomes at altitudes ranging from 15 to 47 m. [3]

These spiders are free-living on plants, and are found on the surface of leaves. [3]

Description

Conservation

Phrynarachne rugosa is listed as Least Concern due to its wide geographical range. [3] The species is recorded in three reserves including Ndumo Game Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve, and Knysna and Diepwalle Forest Reserves. [3]

Taxonomy

The species was originally described in 1804 as Thomisus rugosus from Réunion. [2] Both sexes are known. [3]

References

  1. ↑ Walckenaer, C.A. (1805). Tableau des aranéides ou caractères essentiels des tribus, genres, familles et races que renferme le genre Aranea de Linné, avec la désignation des espèces comprises dans chacune de ces divisions. Paris: Dentu. p. 88.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Phrynarachne rugosa (Walckenaer, 1805)". World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern: World Spider Catalog. doi:10.24436/2 . Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dippenaar-Schoeman, A.S.; Haddad, C.R.; Foord, S.H.; Lotz, L.N. (2020). The Thomisidae of South Africa. Part 2 My-R. Version 1. South African National Survey of Arachnida Photo Identification Guide. p. 44. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7513276. Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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