White Spider ID, - Ask Extension
This spider found a home on my Salvia. Can you ID it for me? Thank you.
Knowledgebase
White Spider ID, #885200
Asked September 13, 2024, 7:03 PM EDT
This spider found a home on my Salvia. Can you ID it for me? Thank you.
Linn County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Esther,
That is a beauty, isn't it? It is an adult female goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia). The color and patterning of these spiders can be a bit variable. Here are a couple that look similar to the one you found.
https://bugguide.net/node/view/675420/bgimage
https://bugguide.net/node/view/227211/bgimage
Here is what the Bugguide website says about color pattern variation in this species....
Female: Carapace white to yellow with sides darker. Eye area often tinged with red. Abdomen same color as carapace, sometimes with no markings, but otherwise with a red band on both sides. Legs are light colored.
Male: Carapace red to reddish-brown, with white spot in center going to eyes and clypeus. First two pairs for legs are reddish brown, the others yellow. Abdomen has pair of dorsal and lateral red bands on a white background.
Crab spiders (Family: Thomisidae) do not make webs for catching prey. Instead they hold still and are camouflaged so they can pounce on insects that come near. The goldenrod crab spider is most often seen on flowers waiting for pollinators to snack on.
Enjoy!
That is a beauty, isn't it? It is an adult female goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia). The color and patterning of these spiders can be a bit variable. Here are a couple that look similar to the one you found.
https://bugguide.net/node/view/675420/bgimage
https://bugguide.net/node/view/227211/bgimage
Here is what the Bugguide website says about color pattern variation in this species....
Female: Carapace white to yellow with sides darker. Eye area often tinged with red. Abdomen same color as carapace, sometimes with no markings, but otherwise with a red band on both sides. Legs are light colored.
Male: Carapace red to reddish-brown, with white spot in center going to eyes and clypeus. First two pairs for legs are reddish brown, the others yellow. Abdomen has pair of dorsal and lateral red bands on a white background.
Crab spiders (Family: Thomisidae) do not make webs for catching prey. Instead they hold still and are camouflaged so they can pounce on insects that come near. The goldenrod crab spider is most often seen on flowers waiting for pollinators to snack on.
Enjoy!
