The Crab Spider

The crab spider is an interesting spider. It matches the color of the flower it lives on. This helps it stay camouflaged and hide from other insects. It takes this spider three days to change colors to match its environment. The crab spider pounces on any unsuspecting insects as soon as they land on the flower it’s on. The spider bites the insects with its fangs and paralyzes them. The crab spider sucks up all the body fluids and leaves an empty husk.

Crab spiders do not spin webs. They spin fluffy silk cocoons to protect their eggs. The female spider can lay up to 20 to 30 eggs at a time. The spiderlings climb out of the cocoon after they shed their skin. Crab spiders live for one year.

The crab spider’s body is divided into two parts with a narrow waist in the middle. The front legs are longer and thicker than the other legs so that they can hold their prey. They have a huge abdomen with simple black eyes that don’t see very well. The spider gets its name because it walks sideways like a crab. This spider spends most of its time crouched in tree trunks, flowers, or leaves.