Crab spider. Close-up of a white crab spider (Mis- umena vatia) inside a pink peony flower. Crab spi- ders are so called because they lurk in flowers,

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Crab spider. Close-up of a white crab spider (Mis- umena vatia) inside a pink peony flower. Crab spi- ders are so called because they lurk in flowers, and can move sideways to align themselves with approaching prey. They do not spin webs, but use silk as an anchor line (as here) and for climbing. Standing motionless with front legs apart, they wait until the prey is close, then grab it and in- ject a lethal poison. They can kill insects as big as bumblebees, and are often taken for a short flight before crash-landing and then sucking out the contents of the prey's body. Crab spiders sometimes adapt to the colour of the flower. This one was captured on a white daisy.

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Size: 2514px × 3640px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, arachnida, crab, flower, invertebrates, misumena, nature, paeonia, peony, spider, type, vatia, wildlife, zoology