Kingdom Animalia Order Araneae Genus Misumenoides Higher classification Misumenoides | Phylum Arthropoda Family Thomisidae Scientific name Misumenoides formosipes Rank Species | |
Similar Misumenoides, Thomisidae, Arachnid, Arthropod, Micrathena sagittata | ||
Misumenoides formosipes is a species of crab spider. The species' unofficial common name is white banded crab spider, which refers to a white line that runs through the plane of their eyes.
Description
This species is a sit-and-wait predator that captures pollinators as they visit the inflorescences on which the spider sits. The spider has strong front legs which are used to seize prey. The female spider is much larger than the male. The length of females is 5.0–11.3 millimetres (0.20–0.44 in) and the length of males is 2.5–3.2 mm (0.10–0.13 in). The pattern of markings on females is variable and the overall color of the body can change between white and yellow dependent on the color of their surroundings. The color pattern for males, which does not change in their lifetime, differs from females in that the four front legs of males are dark brown and the abdomen is gold. The spider can be found throughout the United States. Males search for sedentary females within a heterogeneous habitat.
