House of Spider : Crab Spiders

Latin Name

Family Thomisidae

Appearance

Crab spiders belong to the Family Thomisidaeand are named for their crablike appearance and movements. Crab spiders have two large, strong front legs that are used to grasp prey. They scuttle sideways with their hind legs, although some species do move like other spiders.

 

Crab Spider

Behavior, Diet & Habits

Instead of spinning webs to catch prey, crab spiders utilize camouflage. Some crab spiders resemble bird droppings, while others look like fruits, leaves, grass, or flowers. Some crab spiders are capable of changing colors entirely.

When prey approaches, the crab spider attacks and administers a poisonous bite. Crab spider venom is potent enough to render large insects immobile. It is not medically threatening to humans.

Reproduction

Crab spiders produce eggs within a few weeks after mating. These eggs are deposited into two silken egg sacs, which are joined at the center. However, their eggs are not housed within a web. Females commonly remain near egg sacs in order to protect their young from predators. Hatching time depends on environmental conditions. After spiderlings emerge, they resemble adults. These small spiders undergo a series of molts before becoming mature and fertile.

Signs of a Crab Spider Infestation

Crab spiders excel at not being seen. When detected it is the spider itself that would be the sign. Crab spiders typically would not infest indoors and would prefer to remain outside. www.orkin.com

Goldenrod Crab Spider

Male is much smaller than female.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Arachnida

Order: Araneae

Family: Thomisidae

Genus: Misumena

Species: M. vatia

Binomial name

Misumena vatia

(Clerck, 1757)

Misumena vatia is a species of crab spider with holarctic distribution. In North America, where it is the largest and best-known flower spider, it is called the goldenrod crab spider or flower (crab) spider,[1] because it is commonly found hunting in goldenrod sprays in the autumn.

Goldenrod spider, imitating a flower

Young males in the early summer may be quite small and easily overlooked, but females can grow up to 10 mm (excluding legs); males reach 5 mm at most.

These spiders may be yellow or white, depending on the flower in which they are hunting. Especially younger females, which may hunt on a variety of flowers such as daisies and sunflowers, may change color "at will". Older females require large amounts of relatively large prey to produce the best possible clutch of eggs. They are therefore, in North America, most commonly found in goldenrod (Solidago sp.), a bright yellow flower which attracts large numbers of insects, especially in autumn. It is often very hard even for a searching human to recognize one of these spiders on a yellow flower. These spiders are sometimes called banana spiders because of their striking yellow color.- wikipedia