How to Identify a Crab Spider
Take note of the spider’s legs., Watch the spider move., Observe the color of the spider., Note the size of the spider., Look at the spider’s eyes.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Take note of the spider’s legs.
The most notable feature of a crab spider is its legs, which have longer front four legs than the back four legs.
Sometimes these front legs also appear different than the other legs and are darker or hairier than their back counterparts.
Like a crab, the crab spider’s front 2 legs also have incredibly strong claws which they use to grab their prey., While the crab spider’s legs resemble those of a crab, it is really their gait and movements that make them most similar to their namesake.
If you gently provoke a crab spider, you will see that it moves sideways like a crab on the beach.
That is because their legs have something called “laterigrade leg orientation,” which means that their legs are rotated at the base, causing them to move sideways like crab., Unlike some spider species like the brown recluse spider, the shared characteristic of crab spiders’ coloring is that it’s incredibly varied.
Instead of looking for an all over color, as with the brown recluse, or the distinctive black and red coloring of a black widow spider, crab spiders are colored extravagantly to blend into their surroundings.
Because crab spiders can camouflage themselves, they can be bright and vibrantly colored like a flower or a fruit, or they can be multicolored to blend into tree branches or leaves., With over 3,000 types of crab spiders, assigning a standard size to this type of spider is difficult.
However, the vast majority of these species range from about 4
- 10 mm (which is the length of the body not including the legs).The female crab spiders are always larger than the males, especially when they are storing hundreds of egg sacs, and some male crab spiders are only 1/4 to 1/3 the size of their female counterparts.
You should also look at the size and shape of the spider’s abdomen, as crab spiders typically have much more bulbous and round abdomens than other spider species., While the prospect of getting close enough to a spider to check out its eyes can be unnerving to some, crab spiders have distinct eyes.
Unlike other insects, spiders have eight eyes that are round and smooth instead of two compound eyes that have numerous surfaces like the outside of a golf ball.Crab spiders normally have two big front eyes and have excellent eyesight.
The most common species of crab spiders are brightly colored around these two front eyes, or they have a noticeable ridge below these eyes called a “clypeal carina.” -
Step 2: Watch the spider move.
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Step 3: Observe the color of the spider.
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Step 4: Note the size of the spider.
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Step 5: Look at the spider’s eyes.
Detailed Guide
The most notable feature of a crab spider is its legs, which have longer front four legs than the back four legs.
Sometimes these front legs also appear different than the other legs and are darker or hairier than their back counterparts.
Like a crab, the crab spider’s front 2 legs also have incredibly strong claws which they use to grab their prey., While the crab spider’s legs resemble those of a crab, it is really their gait and movements that make them most similar to their namesake.
If you gently provoke a crab spider, you will see that it moves sideways like a crab on the beach.
That is because their legs have something called “laterigrade leg orientation,” which means that their legs are rotated at the base, causing them to move sideways like crab., Unlike some spider species like the brown recluse spider, the shared characteristic of crab spiders’ coloring is that it’s incredibly varied.
Instead of looking for an all over color, as with the brown recluse, or the distinctive black and red coloring of a black widow spider, crab spiders are colored extravagantly to blend into their surroundings.
Because crab spiders can camouflage themselves, they can be bright and vibrantly colored like a flower or a fruit, or they can be multicolored to blend into tree branches or leaves., With over 3,000 types of crab spiders, assigning a standard size to this type of spider is difficult.
However, the vast majority of these species range from about 4
- 10 mm (which is the length of the body not including the legs).The female crab spiders are always larger than the males, especially when they are storing hundreds of egg sacs, and some male crab spiders are only 1/4 to 1/3 the size of their female counterparts.
You should also look at the size and shape of the spider’s abdomen, as crab spiders typically have much more bulbous and round abdomens than other spider species., While the prospect of getting close enough to a spider to check out its eyes can be unnerving to some, crab spiders have distinct eyes.
Unlike other insects, spiders have eight eyes that are round and smooth instead of two compound eyes that have numerous surfaces like the outside of a golf ball.Crab spiders normally have two big front eyes and have excellent eyesight.
The most common species of crab spiders are brightly colored around these two front eyes, or they have a noticeable ridge below these eyes called a “clypeal carina.”
About the Author
Kayla Baker
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in practical skills and beyond.
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