Crab spider (Misumena vatia)

Known as the Goldenrod Crab spider or Flower Spider in the USA, M. vatia resembles a crab.

Its body is short, wide and flattened. The first two pairs of legs are longer than the hind legs and held open in preparation of grabbing passing prey.

Females are 6 to 9 mm long, males 3 to 4 mm. Colours are variable. The female is light coloured, the carapace and legs white or yellow with darker sides, and sometimes dark reddish markings on the abdomen.

The male is darker. The carapace is a red to reddish brown with a white spot in the middle ascending to the eye area. The first and second legs are reddish brown, the third and fourth are yellow. The male also has a pair of dorsal and lateral parallel bands of red with a white background. The jaws of this spider are small and slender, and contain venom.

They do not spin webs, and produce silk only in order to protect their eggs.

Cleverly, Misumena vatia can slowly change its colour to match the colour of whatever flower they happen to be hiding upon.

It then waits for its prey to stray within its grasp and closes its front legs to pin it down. It uses its small fangs to immediately inject venom to immobilizes its prey, waiting patiently until it's done its job before sucking all of its bodily fluids dry.