Crab Spider

Thomisus ?

a foliage-inhabiting crab spider, Thomisidae, from Moshi, Tanzania. Photo © by Michael Plagens

Found on foliage of Lantana at Moshi, Tanzania. December 2013. Length is about 7 mm.

The first two pair of legs are rotated into a forward-facing position and aid in the capture and securing of prey. Crab spiders capture prey without the use of a sticky web. Instead they sit-and-wait at a prime spot for encountering insects; this is often on a flower, but if no flowers are present fresh new growth on a plant is the preferred hunting spot.

Thomisidae -- Crab Spider Family

More Information:


Kenya Natural History

Copyright Michael J. Plagens. Page created 20 February 2014.