Crab Spider - Blog Posts

These guys are so goofy. I love them

Pink crab spider aka heather crab spider, Thomisus onustus, Thomisidae

Found throughout Europe and into Asia and northern Africa

Photos 1-2 by macronocturno, 3-4 by alexis_orion, 5-6 by mammal, 7 by blaupfeilda, 8 by dmtrsav, and 9 by iyptala

Crab Spiders (Genus Mecaphesa), taken April 12, 2025, in Georgia, US

Some crab spiders hiding underneath flowers! This is a known undescribed species, currently labeled "black tibia spot" (for obvious reasons) as far as I know. I see them pretty often hanging out, especially on fleabane flowers like this. Crab spiders are ambush predators, and most in the genus Mecaphesa lie in wait on similarly-colored flowers until a prey item (flies, beetles, and perhaps small bees) lands on it. The spider quickly overtakes its prey and hides underneath the petals of the flower to enjoy. A rather boring life for us, but these guys don't seem to mind!

Seven-spined crab spider, Epicadus heterogaster, Thomisidae. Found in South and Central America.

Like all crab spiders, this species does not build webs, but rather actively hunts its prey. Its camouflage allows it to stay hidden among flowers and wait for the opportune moment to strike.

Photo 1 by rogdias, 2 by augustorosa, 3 by samuelvaldes, 4 by eduardo_rex, 5 by jurga_li, 6 by fernandofarias, 7 by deni_schwartz, 8 by sofianogales, 9 by luisfunez, and 10 by sarahlamond

See this spider in action below!

Videos by Andreas Kay on youtube