Seoni: Forest Guard Manoj Salame was in for a surprise when during his patrolling at the Pench National Park as he suddenly came across a Monkey Orb Weaver. This is a nocturnal breed of spider that gets its name from its habit of resting during the day in a curled-up position that resembles a monkey, with its legs tucked close to its body.

This is the first time that this species has been seen in this area. This spider is known to attract prey with bright spots on its body that captures with its spiny legs.

These spiders are found across Asia, Australia, and the Pacific region and are known for building spiral-shaped orb webs to hunt insects at night.

According to wildlife expert Dr. Ankit Meshram, the shell of this spider has a small depression of groove to which the abdominal muscles attach themselves.

He explained, "It hunts at night by building a circular web. It catches and traps prey with its spiny legs. During the day it rests curled up on leaves or is hidden. It also hides well when sitting on a tree bark during the day. The female species is approximately 1.1 cm (0.43 inches) long and the male is approximately 0.7 cm (0.28 inches) long."

This spider species is commonly seen in the Philippines where females are often seen fighting with the males. When resting, this spider contorts itself into a monkey-like shape giving it a scary appearance. Therefore it is also known as the ghost spider.