Oxyopidae: Lynx Spiders

However, species in three different genera can be found in the United States.

The are small to medium sized hunting spiders, and like the crab spiders and jumping spiders, their preferred habitat consists of low growing plants and bushes.

Because they share an overlapping habitat with similar looking spiders, proper identification often comes down to having a close up view of any individual species.

Generally lynx spiders can be differentiated by the presence of extra hairy legs and a pointed abdomen. The abdomens of some species are also visibly elongated.

The top picture, a Striped Lynx spider (Oxyopes salticus) highlights the family's characteristic hairy legs.

While the picture provides a general view of the eye pattern, the two sets of smaller eyes, situated both beneath and above the two larger facial eyes, do not stand out.

The second picture, a Western Lynx (Oxyopes scalaris) highlights the pointed abdomen. The Western Lynx varies in color from dark to lights shades of brown.

Green Lynx is the name given to two spider species in the Genus Peucetia.

Peucetia viridans, pictured here, is the more common of the two species, found in fields, forests and residential areas across the southern half of the United States.

They are medium sized spiders that can reach two and one-half inches in length (including the leg span).

Typically they stay still on brush and branches waiting to pounce on nearby insect prey.

© 2007-2011. Patricia A. Michaels