Misumena Temporal range: | |
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Misumena vatia female | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Araneae |
Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
Family: | Thomisidae |
Genus: | Misumena Latreille, 1804 |
Misumena is a genus of crab spiders sometimes referred to as flower crab spiders. [1] They are similar in appearance to several other genera in the family Thomisidae, such as Misumenoides and Mecaphesa . [1]
Misumena vatia , the goldenrod crab spider, is a North American species commonly seen hunting in goldenrod (Solidago) sprays in autumn. It can change its color between white and yellow to match the flower it is sitting on. The color change takes a few days.
As of 2008 [update] , the World Spider Catalog listed the following species:
The Thomisidae are a family of spiders, including about 170 genera and over 2,100 species. The common name crab spider is often linked to species in this family, but is also applied loosely to many other families of spiders. Many members of this family are also known as flower spiders or flower crab spiders.
Uloborus is a spider genus in the family Uloboridae with 72 described species. Most species occur in the tropics and subtropics, with only few species in northern America and Europe.
Theridion is a genus of tangle-web spiders with almost 600 described species around the world. Notable species are the Hawaiian happy face spider (T. grallator), named for the iconic symbol on its abdomen, and T. nigroannulatum, one of few spider species that lives in social groups, attacking prey en masse to overwhelm them as a team.
Tmarus is a genus of crab spiders, comprising the following species:
Tetragnatha is a genus of long-jawed orb-weavers found all over the world. It was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804, and it contains hundreds of species. Most occur in the tropics and subtropics, and many can run over water. They are commonly called stretch spiders in reference to their elongated body form and their ability to hide on blades of grass or similar elongated substrates by stretching their front legs forward and the others behind them. The name Tetragnatha is derived from Greek, tetra- a numerical prefix referring to four and gnatha meaning "jaw". Evolution to cursorial behavior occurred long ago in a few different species, the most studied being those found on the Hawaiian islands. One of the biggest and most common species is T. extensa, which has a holarctic distribution. It can be found near lakes, river banks or swamps. Large numbers of individuals can often be found in reeds, tall grass, and around minor trees and shrubs.
Olios is the largest genus of huntsman spiders, containing 177 species. They are found throughout the world, with most species occurring in hot countries. The genus was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1837.
Dictyna is a genus of cribellate araneomorph spiders in the family Dictynidae, and was first described by Carl Jakob Sundevall in 1833.
Oxyopes is a genus of lynx spiders found worldwide. It includes arounds 300 species and is classified under the lynx spider family Oxyopidae. Like other lynx spiders, they are easily recognizable by the six larger eyes arranged hexagonally on top of the head (prosoma), with the remaining smaller two eyes in front. They are also characterized by long spine-like bristles (setae) on their legs. They are ambush predators, actively hunting prey by sight. Though they produce and use silk, they do not build webs to capture prey.
Synema is a genus of spider in the family Thomisidae, found in most parts of the world.