Superb Camouflage, Poltys illepidus

One day my sister and I went to the garden. Then we found something strange. Guess what is this, guys? Is this an owl? Or just a twig?

If you look closely, you can see the legs. At least it is known that it is an animal. But what exactly is the animal? At that time we did not know for sure. So we tried to see it more closely using lenses from various sides. Its small size makes it quite difficult to observe with the naked eye.

The shape (morphology) and the colour are like twigs, making it camouflage perfectly. Besides, it didn't move at all. So we put it in a magnifying jar that has a magnification of 3x and 5x. The legs are seen clutching dry leaves. But it still did not move at all. So, we tried to shake it, and make it move.

Evidently, the animal is a spider. Based on literature and discussions with friends at iNaturalist, we finally know its classification.

This spider is scientifically named Poltys illepidus, and is also known as' Tree-Stump spider ". According to arachne.org, Poltys are a genus of araneids that are typically identified by distant lateral eyes and pear-shaped carapace, where the pear stalks are eyes. Active at night, while during the day it is camouflage and does not move on vegetation, with legs rolled tightly around the cephalothorax only with the median eye sticking out between the legs. In this position, they resemble parts of dead branches or broken pieces of wood. illepidus is one of the most common and widespread species and is found along the northern coasts of Australia and Southeast Asia. The name illepidus is rough and may be considered suitable for specimens such as chunks and irregular shapes.

Reference:
Smith (2006)in Arachne.org. Poltys illepidus C. L. Koch, 1843 Tree Stump Spider

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