GUWAHATI: The bird dung crab spider (Phrynarachne decipiens) has been documented for the first time in Assam, with sightings in Sonapur, Kamrup (Metropolitan) district and Chirang Reserve Forest in Kokrajhar district, representing a significant advancement in understanding the state’s arachnid population.
A 2018 study conducted by zoologists Sangeeta Das, Jatin Kalita, Paris Basumatary, Dulur Brahma and Nilutpal Mahanta discovered two adult females in Sonapur and one in Chirang Reserve Forest. Their research was published in ‘Acta Arachnologica’, a publication of the Arachnological Society of Japan.
The initial documentation of this species occurred in 1884, based on a female specimen. Subsequently, it received minimal scientific attention, with only a basic illustration produced in 1921.
The ‘Phrynarachne’ genus, established in 1869, currently comprises 35 recognised species globally. Prior to the discovery of the bird dung spider, India had documented only three species — ‘P Ceylonica’, ‘P Peeliana’, and ‘P Tuberosa’.
Arachnid researcher Paris Basumatary explained that these spiders, originally found in South East Asian countries, reached Assam through dispersal. “During their juvenile stage, these insects use a method called ballooning to disperse, allowing them to travel long distances through the air in search of a suitable habitat.
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