Ambush Poo

Look closely, people. Try to decipher what creature you're looking at.

That's right. It's a spider disguised as a pile of glistening poo. Does it get much better than that?


















You're staring at a fascinating bit of camouflage. The bird dung crab spider (Phrynarachne sp.) not only looks like bird poo, but also acts like it (which involves little more than sitting still). But that's not all. They'll even sometimes spin a little patch of white silk for it to lay on, in mimicry of the white goo of bird guano.

But there's still more.

Some species of Phrynarachne even emit a smell that resembles feces or urine. All these factors allow for great opportunities to eat flies.

I wonder how I can dress and smell to attract pizzas...

Thanks for the great photos, Darren5907