KINGDOM: Animalia | PHYLUM: Arthropoda | CLASS: Arachnida | ORDER: Araneae | FAMILY: Thomisidae (crab spiders) & Philodromidae (running crab spiders)

WHAT IS A CRAB SPIDER?
LIFE CYCLE
ECOLOGY
PEST STATUS
COMMON KENTUCKY CRAB SPIDERS
COLLECTING & PHOTOGRAPHY
CRAB SPIDER FACTS
MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND FOLKLORE

There are several types of spiders that are commonly called "Crab Spiders." The most commonly encountered crab spiders found in Kentucky are in the family Thomisidae. These are often called "thomisid" crab spiders, or simply "thomsids." Thomisids tend to have a flat shape compared to other spiders, and their front two pairs of legs are typically very long compared to the back two pairs. Thomisid crab spiders hold their front legs out and up, similar to the way a crab holds its claws. Many thomisid crab spiders have bright, "neon" colors (yellow, green, and orange). Others have gray and brown color patterns.

Like all spiders, crab spiders go through a simple metamorphosis.  Young crab spiders hatch from eggs and look like tiny adults. They shed their skin as they grow. Many crab spiders live for less than one year and have only one generation per year. In most of these species, the females produce eggs in the fall, and the offspring hatch in the spring. In other species, several generations of females produce young each year and immature larvae are the overwintering stage (thanks to Dr. Gary Dodson from Ball State University for this information). 

Most crab spiders and running crab spiders do not rely on silk to capture prey. Instead, they are ambush predators: crab spiders wait motionless on flowers, leaves, and other strategic places for flies, bees, and similar prey. Many crab spider species, especially in the family Thomisidae, have the same bright colors as the flowers on which they sit. Other crab spiders have dark colors that blend well with bark or soil. Crab spiders are able to walk forwards, backwards, and sideways with ease.

Crab spiders are considered beneficial to humans. Although they eat a few beneficial insects (like bees), they also kill flies, mosquitoes, moths, and other insect pests. Some species are large enough to bite people, but no crab spiders are known to be of medical significance.

FLOWER SPIDERS
FAMILY: Thomisidae | GENERA: Misumenops, Misumenoides, Misumena, others
Flower Spiders may be the most commonly encountered crab spiders in Kentucky. Flower spiders have bright colors which allow them to blend in with the flowers on which they wait for prey. Some flower spiders are able to change color to become camouflaged on different kinds of flowers, although the color change may take a few days. Pictured below is a flower spider from the Misumenops genus and three views of Misumenoides formosipes. These and related crab spiders are commonly found on Kentucky wildflowers and flowering plants (like milkweed and Queen Anne's Lace). Thanks to Dr. Gary Dodson from Ball State University for help with flower spider identifications, along with biological information about these genera.

Xysticus and Coriarachne spp.
FAMILY: Thomisidae | GENUS: Xysticus and Coriarchne
Crab spiders in the Xysticus and Coriarachne genera, like the ones pictured below, resemble flower spiders except that they often have more subdued colors (like brown, black, and gray). This might be because crab spiders in these genera often hunt on the ground or on bark (instead of in flowers) where dark colors are best for camouflage.

Tmarus spp.
FAMILY: Thomisidae | GENUS: Tmarus
Crab spiders in the genus Tmarus are infrequently encountered in Kentucky and they don't look very much like the other crab spiders in Thomisidae. Little is known about their biology. The ones pictured below were less than 1/2" long.

RUNNING CRAB SPIDERS
FAMILY: Philodromidae
Running Crab Spiders belong to the family Philodromidae. They are not encountered as often as crab spiders in the family Thomisidae, but they are common nevertheless. Pictured below are running crab spiders from the genus Tibellus and Philodromus.

Although crab spiders are fairly common, finding one might take some patience because they are often well camouflaged, especially the ones that live on the ground. Crab spiders make great photography subjects, especially the brightly colored flower spiders. Flower spiders are very common in garden flowers and in wildflowers. If you want to find a flower spider, try to think like a flower spider: where would you sit if you wanted flies and bees to come to you?

Scientists think that the venom of certain crab spiders is more potent than that of most other spiders: this allows crab spiders to quickly paralyze the large and tough bees that often visit flowers. However, crab spider venom is not known to be especially dangerous to humans.

The University of Nebraska Entomology website has some great pictures of crab spiders at: http://entomology.unl.edu/images/spiders/spiders3.htm

Do you know any myths, legends, or folklore about crab spiders? If so, let us know.