Misumenoides
Encyclopedia
Misumenoides is a genus
of spider
s in the family Thomisidae. Spiders in this family are commonly called "crab" or "flower" spiders.
The female M. formosipes, while similar to the common goldenrod spider (Misumena vatia), is not as large, and can be distinguished by the inverted 'V' marking on its back (with the point of the V closer to the cephalothorax
) and the 'mask' over its eyes. In most respects this spider behaves like the goldenrod spider, also commonly hunting in goldenrod
sprays in the fall. It tends to take smaller prey, however, avoiding the bumblebee
s and large butterflies
in favor of honeybees, large flies and small butterflies such as skippers
. Male M. formosipes are quite distinctive, being much smaller than females and having a greenish cephalothorax, yellow-orange abdomen, and long, red to reddish-black front legs. They are found on a wide variety of plants as they wander in search of females in late summer and early fall.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s in the family Thomisidae. Spiders in this family are commonly called "crab" or "flower" spiders.
The female M. formosipes, while similar to the common goldenrod spider (Misumena vatia), is not as large, and can be distinguished by the inverted 'V' marking on its back (with the point of the V closer to the cephalothorax
Cephalothorax
The cephalothorax is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind. The word cephalothorax is derived from the Greek words for head and thorax...
) and the 'mask' over its eyes. In most respects this spider behaves like the goldenrod spider, also commonly hunting in goldenrod
Goldenrod
Solidago, commonly called goldenrods, is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in the meadows and pastures, along roads, ditches and waste areas in North America. There are also a few species native to Mexico, South...
sprays in the fall. It tends to take smaller prey, however, avoiding the bumblebee
Bumblebee
A bumble bee is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. There are over 250 known species, existing primarily in the Northern Hemisphere although they are common in New Zealand and in the Australian state of Tasmania.Bumble bees are social insects that are characterised by black...
s and large butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in favor of honeybees, large flies and small butterflies such as skippers
Skipper (butterfly)
A skipper or skipper butterfly is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. They are named after their quick, darting flight habits. There are more than 3500 recognized species of skippers and they occur worldwide, but with the greatest diversity in the Neotropical regions of Central and South...
. Male M. formosipes are quite distinctive, being much smaller than females and having a greenish cephalothorax, yellow-orange abdomen, and long, red to reddish-black front legs. They are found on a wide variety of plants as they wander in search of females in late summer and early fall.
Species
- Misumenoides annulipes (O. P.-Cambridge, 1891) (Mexico, Guatemala)
- Misumenoides bifissus F. O. P.-Cambridge, 1900 (Guatemala)
- Misumenoides blandus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1891) (Guatemala, Panama)
- Misumenoides carminatus Mello-Leitão, 1941 (Argentina)
- Misumenoides chlorophilus (Holmberg, 1881) (Argentina)
- Misumenoides corticatus Mello-Leitão, 1929 (Brazil)
- Misumenoides crassipes (Keyserling, 1880) (Colombia)
- Misumenoides dasysternon Mello-Leitão, 1943 (Chile)
- Misumenoides decipiens Caporiacco, 1955 (Venezuela)
- Misumenoides depressus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1891) (Guatemala)
- Misumenoides eximius Mello-Leitão, 1938 (Argentina)
- Misumenoides formosipesMisumenoides formosipesMisumenoides formosipes is a species of crab spider. The species' unofficial common name is white banded crab spider, which refers to a white line than runs through the plane of their eyes.-Description:...
(Walckenaer, 1837) (USA, Canada) - Misumenoides fusciventris Mello-Leitão, 1929 (Brazil)
- Misumenoides gerschmanae Mello-Leitão, 1944 (Argentina)
- Misumenoides illotus Soares, 1944 (Brazil)
- Misumenoides magnus (Keyserling, 1880) (Mexico to Colombia)
- Misumenoides nicoleti Roewer, 1951 (Chile)
- Misumenoides nigripes Mello-Leitão, 1929 (Brazil)
- Misumenoides nigromaculatus (Keyserling, 1880) (Brazil)
- Misumenoides parvus (Keyserling, 1880) (Mexico to Colombia)
- Misumenoides paucispinosus Mello-Leitão, 1929 (Brazil, Guyana)
- Misumenoides proseni Mello-Leitão, 1944 (Argentina)
- Misumenoides quetzaltocatl Jiménez, 1992 (Mexico)
- Misumenoides roseiceps Mello-Leitão, 1949 (Brazil)
- Misumenoides rubrithorax Caporiacco, 1947 (Guyana)
- Misumenoides rubroniger Mello-Leitão, 1947 (Brazil)
- Misumenoides rugosus (O. P.-Cambridge, 1891) (Guatemala, Panama)
- Misumenoides similis (Keyserling, 1881) (Brazil)
- Misumenoides tibialis (O. P.-Cambridge, 1891) (Panama, Brazil)
- Misumenoides variegatus Mello-Leitão, 1941 (Argentina)
- Misumenoides vigilans (O. P.-Cambridge, 1890) (Guatemala)
- Misumenoides vulneratus Mello-Leitão, 1929 (Brazil)