Misumena

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Misumena
Temporal range: Palaeogene–present
Misumena vatia female
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
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.

Species[edit]

Misumena vatia with fly
Misumena with wasp on Hyacinthus

As of 2022, the World Spider Catalog listed the following 40 species:

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Genus Misumena - Flower Crab Spiders - BugGuide.Net". bugguide.net. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  • Platnick, Norman I. (2008): The world spider catalog, version 8.5. American Museum of Natural History.