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Comments & ID Thoughts
Is this a Misumena vatia ? That is my closest guess from looking at your photo library. This beauty was found camouflaged in a blossoming rhododendron. We were amazed that the spider’s colours matched the flowers exactly.
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Jun 17, 2022
- Photographed: Jun 1, 2022
- Spider: Unidentified
- Location: West Vancouver, BC, British Columbia, Canada
- Spotted Outdoors: On Flower
- Found in web?: No
- Attributes:
I could hardly see her!
I know! Not the best photography, and she’s so well camouflaged. I have another photo but the system only let me choose one so I posted the Search and Find version for some fun, and to show off the rhodo she was on.
She’s either Misumena vatia or Misumenoides formosipes. Both species have whitish bodies and pink markings. Both have the really cool ability to match the colors in their immediate environment. What they see triggers pigmented chemicals to move around inside them to change their appearance. M. formosipes has more of a color range. The way to tell them apart by photo is the eye area. M. vatia, the Goldenrod Crab Spider, has a yellow eye area. M.formosipes, the White/Red Banded Crab Spider has a white or red band under the eyes. It is easy to see if the eyes are visible.… Read more »
Thank you for your thoughtful reply and tips about uploading more photos. I will see if my other photos show the eyes. I love that this spider is female! I confess that I’m new to spiders so am not sure how to tell the gender. Colour? Size?
You are quite welcome. I think a reason we have had many female volunteers and moderators is the aesthetic beauty of spiders and their habitats. The gender dynamics of spiders gives females a dominent role. Most of the photos we receive are of female spiders because they are much more visible. The LONG answer first: Males live just about long enough to mate. There are color and markings differences in some species. Overall the females are scientifically considered giants compared to the males. Sexual dimorphic gigantism. The males often have proportionately longer legs to hold back hungry females and to… Read more »