Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)
Female
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Jul 7, 2019
Jul 3, 2019
5 Comments
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Jun 5, 2019Jun 5, 2019
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Aug 3, 2019Aug 3, 20191 Comments
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Jul 27, 2019Jul 27, 20193 Comments
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Victoria,
I notice a lot of variation in color within this species…
You knew what I was going to ask Itsy! This species can change colors in the yellows and reds. Usually if it is yellow the markings are dark pink, but we have at least one pic of yellow with light pink or white with red. I wouldn’t have recognized yours. There isn’t a yellow eye band and I don’t see the other markings at all. The chelacerae look a bit large too. Unless it just moved from a white setting, there is usually markings on the sides and under the eyes and across the eyes.
I’m thinking maybe there’s just colour variation within the species, perhaps in relation to their region. I don’t think they “change colour” but I know what you’re trying to say. Actually I only saw all white ones in that area so perhaps that’s the typical colouration for the region. Not sure, but when I looked them up on other websites there were many different appearances.
No they literally change color, like a chameleon or a cuttlefish.
Here’s a research study on the chemical changes that occur in the spiders: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18281341 There are pigment sensors in the spiders’s eyes that cause a shift of pigment chemicals within the body. Sometimes it involves excreting a pigment to become paler.
That’s crazy! I’ve never heard of that.. amazing
I think it’s really awesome! I didn’t know that there are color-changing spiders before reading this website. The shock was mostly that I never heard about it! Green Lynx Spiders, Peucetia viridans can change color in the white, yellow, green, tan, and reds colors. Some of the other Crab Spiders can do it too. Misumenoides formosipes is the best in North america. It can do patterns and even turn blue a bit. I like seeing the photos we receive of them to see how they do against patterned material. The legs can also be different colors to match stems. Some… Read more »