THE INSECTLIBRARY FIELD GUIDES
Crab SpiderIdentification, facts & practical guidance
Crab spiders in Thomisidae typically hold their front legs out to the sides, giving them a crablike stance.
Compiled by the InsectLibrary Team · Updated · Editorial policy
Identification and lookalikes
The first two pairs of legs are usually especially noticeable. Some species wait on flowers; ground crab spiders such as Xysticus are often brown or gray. Flower color does not identify a crab spider to species.
Ambush hunting
Crab spiders wait for passing prey instead of building an orb web. Flower-dwelling and ground-dwelling species use different hunting sites. The brown ground species described in the linked source are examples, not a description of every member of this family.
What to do next
Look closely at flowers, bark and leaf litter without touching the spider. Include the habitat and a clear view of the legs when requesting an identification.
Crab Spider: species profiles
Explore 91 species profiles covered by this guide, with recorded names and available photos.
Tan crab spider
Xysticus ferox
(c) Sheila S, some rights reserved (CC BY)Bassaniana utahensis
Bassaniana utahensis
Enlarged Ground Crab Spider
Xysticus locuples
Xysticus auctificus
Xysticus auctificus
Synema viridans
Synema viridans
northeastern flower crab spider
Mecaphesa carletonica
Xysticus chippewa
Xysticus chippewa
Mecaphesa rothi
Mecaphesa rothi
Bark Crab Spider
Bassaniana versicolor
Black Tail Crab Spider
Synema parvulum
Crab Spider
Mecaphesa dubia
Goldenrod Crab Spider
Misumena vatia
Showing 12 of 91 species. Browse all in Araneae →
Sources and further reading
- mdc.mo.gov - ground crab spidershttps://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/ground-crab-spiders
References support the subject discussed here; they do not certify every imported directory record. Regional sources describe their own locations. Read our source and correction policy.