Thomisidae (Crab Spiders)

Crab Spiders (Thomisidae)

Crab spiders do not actively hunt for food nor do they weave webs to trap insects. They are slow-moving creatures which lie in ambush for prey. (Please see my article Ambush Artistes.) They walk sideways like crabs do, hence the name. As these pictures show, they lurk on flowers or leaves, and strike when an insect lands in front of them.
In this wait-and-capture method of securing their meals, crab spiders are sometimes aided by camouflage and mimicry, their body blending with the flower on which they are waiting. In some cases, they even mimic bird droppings. When you get acquinted with Family Thomisidae, you’ll find that there are quite a few species of the bird-dung mimics (Phrynarachne species).
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