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Crab Spider

 
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Crab spiders make up the Thomisidae family of the Araneae order. They are called crab spiders because they resemble crabs, with two front pairs of legs angled outward and bodies that are flattened and often angular. Also, like crabs, Thomisidae can move sideways or backward.

Crab spiders do not build webs to trap prey, but are hunters and ambushers. Some species sit on or among flowers, bark, fruit or leaves where they grab visiting insects.






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Crab spiders make up the Thomisidae family of the Araneae order. They are called crab spiders because they resemble crabs, with two front pairs of legs angled outward and bodies that are flattened and often angular. Also, like crabs, Thomisidae can move sideways or backward.

Crab spiders do not build webs to trap prey, but are hunters and ambushers. Some species sit on or among flowers, bark, fruit or leaves where they grab visiting insects. Individuals of some species, such as Misumena vatia, are able to change color between white and yellow to match the flower on which they're sitting. Other species, with their flattened bodies, hunt in the crevices of tree trunks or under loose bark. Members of the genus Xysticus hunt in the leaf litter on the ground. In each case, crab spiders use their powerful front legs to grab and hold onto prey while paralyzing it with a venomous bite.

The spider family Aphantochilidae was incorporated into the Thomisidae in the late 1980s. Aphantochilus species mimic Cephalotes
Cephalotes

Cephalotes is a genus of ant species, all sharing the same odd head style, which tend to be mainly arboreal, and all are gliding ants, with the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on....
 ants, on which they prey.

The spiders of Thomisidae are not known to be harmful to humans. However, spiders of an unrelated genus, Sicarius, which are sometimes referred to as "crab spiders", are close cousins to the recluse spider
Recluse spider

The recluse spiders , also known as fiddle-back or violin spiders, are a poisonous spiders genus of spiders known for their necrotic bite....
s, and are highly venomous
Spider bite

A spider bite is an injury resulting from a Spiders accidental or defensive interaction with humans. Although 98-99% of spider bites are harmless, more rarely, the symptoms of their bites can include Necrosis wounds, systemic toxicity, and in some cases, death....
.

The unrelated species Gasteracantha cancriformis
Gasteracantha cancriformis

Gasteracantha cancriformis is a species of spider....
 is commonly called the "crab spider."

Systematics

The following subfamilies are recognized:

  • Aphantochilinae (3 genera)
  • Bominae Ono, 1984 (9 genera)
  • Dietinae (32 genera)
  • Stephanopinae (35 genera)
  • Stiphropodinae (3 genera)
  • Strophiinae (8 genera)
  • Thomisinae (67 genera)
  • incertae sedis
    Incertae sedis

    Incertae sedis , abbreviation "inc. sed.", is a term used to define a taxonomy group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined....
  • Ansiea Lehtinen, 2005
  • Carcinarachne Schmidt, 1956
  • Cozyptila Lehtinen & Marusik, 2005
  • Ebelingia Lehtinen, 2005
  • Facundia Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil)
  • Fiducia Petrunkevitch, 1942 † (fossil)
  • Henriksenia Lehtinen, 2005
  • Hexommulocymus Caporiacco, 1955
  • Ledouxia Lehtinen, 2005
  • Mastira Thorell, 1891
  • Megapyge Caporiacco, 1947
  • Modysticus Gertsch, 1953
  • Rejanellus Lise, 2005
  • Syphax Koch & Berendt, 1854 † (fossil)
  • Tarrocanus Simon, 1895
  • Taypaliito Barrion & Litsinger, 1995


There are 9 genera, containing 130 species of crab spiders in North America.

Gallery


See also

  • List of Thomisidae species
    List of Thomisidae species

    This page lists all described species of the spider family Thomisidae as of Dec. 12, 2008....
  • Spider families


External links

  • Photos and Information
  • (free for noncommercial use)