White Crab Spider - Thomisus spectabilis
FAMILY THOMISIDAE
This page contains pictures and information about White Crab Spiders that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Leg to leg 30mm
- White Crab Spider sometimes is also known as White Flower Spider. This species of Flower Spiders are a little larger than the Diaea species. White Crab Spiders also hide in flower plants waiting for preys. Their abdomen just look like the flower buds. At day time they rest in their retreats made by the leafs and their silk, which are usually on the underside of leaves. At night they sit beside the flower and wait for the visitors, such as the small moths.
- This spider is also common in Brisbane gardens, backyards and bushes.
- Females build egg-sac on curved leaf. Females guard the eggs and the juveniles.
- Moths and butterflies are the common visitors of flowers. Small moths and skipper butterflies are the spiders' favourite prey.
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- They like to rest on the top of small plant waiting for prey. Small flying insects may think they are the white flower and landed on their jaws.
- The White Crab Spiders shown in this web page are all females. As the reference information suggested, the Yellow Crab Spider may be the male of this White Crab Spider.
- On a sunny winter day Aug 2010, we found a yellow White Crab Spider just captured a honey-bee. The White Crab Spider was yellow instead of white.
- Reference:
- 1. A Guide to Australian Spiders - Densey Clyne, Melbourne, Nelson 1969, p59.
- 2. Wildlife of Greater Brisbane - Queensland Museum 1995, p28.
- 3. Flower Spider - The Find-a-spider Guide for Australian Spiders, University of Southern Queensland, 2007.
- 4. Spiders of Australia: An Introduction to Their Classification, Biology & Distribution - Hawkeswood T, Pensoft Pub, 2003, p108.
- 5. Australian Spiders in colour - Ramon Mascord, Reed Books Pty Ltd, 1970, p48.
- 6. Crab spiders Family Thomisidae - Spiders of Australia, Ed Nieuwenhuys, 2009.
