Crab Spiders
| Crab Spiders: Thomisidae Types of Spiders Misumena: Goldenrod Crab Spider Misumenoides: Whitebanded Crab Spider Misumenops: Hairy Crab Spider Bassaniana Xysticus |
Typically the crab spider has a round body with short legs, resembling a crab. Like crabs, they also move from side to side.
Often crab spiders get the nickname flower spiders, however the name is not applicable to all Thomisidae. Ten different genera are found in the United States:
- Genus Bassaniana - Bark Crab Spiders
- Genus Coriarachne
- Genus Diaea
- Genus Misumena - Flower Crab Spiders
- Genus Misumenoides - White-banded Crab Spider
- Genus Misumenops
- Genus Ozyptila
- Genus Synema
- Genus Tmarus
- Genus Xysticus
Only three of those genera, Misumena, Misumenoides and Misumenops, commonly sit on flowers, hunting their prey.
No crab spider builds a webs, rather they rely on their small size and color to hide on either flowers or plants (depending on their body color) waiting for their potential prey to visit. The duller color species sit close to the ground or on bark or branches.
Identifying crab spider species, at least to the level of genus, can be done by close observation of some physical characteristics, including eye patterns. Many hunt on flowers and shrubs in residential areas, making them easy to find.
The links in the box point to articles profiling crab spider genera, and provide some general rules of thumb for differentiating the very similar Misumena, Misumenoides and Misumenops.
© 2005-2009. Patricia A. Michaels