Crab Spiders

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Crab spiders are in the Thomisidae family and they get their name from their appearance. Typically the crab spider has a round body with short legs.

They are also nicknamed flower spiders because of their hunting technique. They do not build webs, rather they rely on their small size and color to hide on flowers or plants waiting for their potential prey to visit.

The above picture shows a variation of the spider and fly theme. There is a red-spotted crab spider on a flower that recently caught a fly.

There are literally thousands of crab spider species and they come in a variety of colors.

The picture on the left shows a crab spider with a duller color. It is a species in the Xysticus genus.

© 2005-2007. Patricia A. Michaels