Octopus Crab Spider - Tmarus marmoreus
FAMILY THOMISIDAE
This page contains pictures and information about Octopus Crab Spiders that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Leg to leg 30mm
- This crab spider rests on stem with its very long two pair front legs laid straight in front mades it look like an octopus, so we call it the Octopus Crab Spider.
- This spider is well camouflaged and hard to be seen. We found this spider once on Karawatha Forest on Sep 2008.
- Leg to leg 20mm
- We saw once this Octopus Crab Spider's hunting technique is a bit different from other Crab Spiders. Other Crab Spiders opens front two pairs of legs, sits and waits for prey. This spider hangs itself by silk in mid-air, opens front two pairs of legs and wait for prey.
- Please check this Flower Spiders and Crab Spiders page for more general information about this spider.
- Reference:
- 1. Australian Spiders in colour - Ramon Mascord, Reed Books Pty Ltd, 1970, p44.
- 2. Tmarus marmoreus - The Find-a-spider Guide for Australian Spiders, University of Southern Queensland, 2009.
- 3. Crab spiders Family Thomisidae - Spiders of Australia, Ed Nieuwenhuys, 2009.
