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Misumena vatia (Clerck, 1757)

goldenrod crab spider



  • Jun 8, 2008

    46.7977091920788,-72.6055526733398
    Jean Leclerc
    46.7977, -72.6056
    1    
    Added: Jun 19, 2008 at 11:13:18 AM MST
    Observed a male standing on the tip of a maple sapling.  Mixed forest, along a trail.
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  • Apr 13, 2008

    34.446606,-119.713356
    L J F
    34.4466, -119.7134
    1    
    Added: Apr 23, 2008 at 11:11:09 AM MST
    Misumena vatia (L J F [Apr 13, 2008])Female on Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia)
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  • Aug 17, 2007

    44.429745,-77.230156
    Pamela Martin
    44.4297, -77.2302
    1    
    Added: Aug 17, 2007 at 6:22:13 PM MST
    Misumena vatia (Pamela Martin [Aug 17, 2007])Now that the goldenrod is in bloom I've been hoping to see a Misumena vatia enjoying it. This morning I found this yellow adult female enjoying a fly on goldenrod, out in the fields. The numbers of these spiders in the garden is way down, though there are a few on the Buddleia and the anemone just coming into flower.
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  • Aug 16, 2007

    40.8137584806378,-73.9467912912369
    Sean Pollock
    40.8138, -73.9468
    1    
    Added: Aug 16, 2007 at 6:36:57 PM MST
    Didn't get a photo, but I'll try tomorrow.  This large female was in a butterfly bush.  We've got plenty of yellow-jackets, butterflies, moths, etc. for it to hunt in the garden.  Looks like a good biological control for the annoying insects.
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  • Jul 24, 2007

    44.429745,-77.230156
    Pamela Martin
    44.4297, -77.2302
    1    
    Added: Jul 26, 2007 at 10:17:27 AM MST
    Misumena vatia (Pamela Martin [Jul 24, 2007])My least favourite part of aging is presbyopia--but perhaps I could learn to enjoy the surprises it leads to. I found this yellow Misumena vatia on some Queen Anne's Lace in the yard. Took a photo, and low and behold, two more spiders (in the lower left quadrant), both white, one clearly a flower crab but I think not the same species, the other, whose legs just show from the other side of the flower, also a flower crab spider, species unknown. I had no idea they were there when I took the photo--too small for me to see without my reading glasses.
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  • Jul 21, 2007

    41.9802219443817,-76.8141639232636
    Marti Quartly
    41.9802, -76.8142
    1    
    Added: Aug 1, 2007 at 2:44:46 PM MST
    Misumena vatia (Marti Quartly [Jul 21, 2007])Taken by our back sidewalk.  I had never seen such a beautiful spider aside from a couple days before seeing the yellow version at a neighbor's & had no camera.  I only just now discovered what it is!
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  • Jul 5, 2007

    45.1465,-75.6088
    Bev Wigney
    45.1465, -75.6088
    2    
    Added: Jul 8, 2007 at 9:44:06 AM MST
    Misumena vatia (Bev Wigney [Jul 5, 2007])Two particular sightings to report, although a few other spiders were seen over the past week.
    1.) A large female spider was found hunting among the leaves of a Black Walnut tree in the garden at my farm.  She was found on the same tree branch 3 times in the space of 24 hours, so it would seem there was no accidental reason for her being in this spot.  Also, she was found to have a dark marking on one side of the cephalothorax - what seems to be a scar as the tissue in the area of the mark seems a little deformed (see image). 
    2.) A large female spider in its yellow phase was found on one of the many Black-eyed Susan flowers which are now coming into bloom here at the farm.  This was one of the first bright yellow coloured spiders of the year. From this point on, I would expect to see more.  Photos of spiders (3):  Image of spider on Walnut tree: http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/81870165
    Image of dark marking on spider in walnut tree: http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/81870165
    Image of yellow phase spider found on Black-eyed Susan flower: http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/81870162


    (edited by admin Jul 8, 2007 at 12:44:35 PM MST)
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  • Jul 2, 2007

    46.2285405345887,-72.3450565338135
    Jean Leclerc
    46.2285, -72.3451
    6    4    6    
    Added: Jul 5, 2007 at 10:17:08 AM MST
    Took a 3h. walk through a wood lot.  Observed 16 specimens in all.  Most standing on daisies along trails.  Some eating prey.  The immatures looked to be females to me.  One of the mature females was observed guarding eggsac under a milkweed leaf.
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  • Jun 30, 2007

    45.1465,-75.6088
    Bev Wigney
    45.1465, -75.6088
    1    5    
    Added: Jun 30, 2007 at 6:38:03 AM MST
    Misumena vatia (Bev Wigney [Jun 30, 2007])This is a report of sightings from two days. On June 29th, I found my first sighting of a female guarding an egg case at the farm this summer. She was wrapped over an egg case chamber formed from a bent milkweed leaf that had been sealed shut.  Of interest was that this female had and extra pair of pink lines in addition to the usual pink bands on the abdomen. This spider was found in an oldfield meadow in one of the more open pastures here at the farm. Photos (2): Spider on egg case: http://www.pbase.com/image/81399959
    Spider close-up: http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/81399958
    Second group of sightings are from June 22nd. I found a male and 4 juvenile female spiders within an area of about 5 meters along a walking trail at the edge of our woodlot. All were found atop daisies. The male and one of the females had each captured a fly. Of interest -- I checked some of the daisies out in the open field and did not find any spiders in that location. I did find some young Phymata (Ambush bugs). Perhaps the daisies in the open field attract predators that would seize the young spiders, so they do better on plants within the edge of the woodlot. Photos (5): Male with prey: http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/81399952 Females: http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/81399953
    http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/81399954
    http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/81399955
    http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/81399956
    (edited by admin Jun 30, 2007 at 9:05:52 AM MST)
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  • Jun 29, 2007

    44.429745,-77.230156
    Pamela Martin
    44.4297, -77.2302
    3    
    Added: Jun 29, 2007 at 6:52:29 AM MST
    Misumena vatia (Pamela Martin [Jun 29, 2007])

    I found three more of these spiders in the garden just outside the front door yesterday. Two were in shasta daisies, one in lady's mantle. Lady's mantle flowers are greenish, small and non-descript, but this is the second flower crab spider I've found in them. I didn't report the first because of the possiblity that it is the same spider as one already reported. I think they are all female based on their colour--but since two are very small if males develop their dark legs later in life then I don't know the sex of the two smallest.

    I'm uploading an image of the largest of the three.

    I should note as well that I am quite sure that all the spiders I've reported here are different individuals, and all reported so far have been found in my front yard.

    Discussion Discuss (1)

  • Jun 27, 2007

    46.7985317929042,-72.6029777526855
    Jean Leclerc
    46.7985, -72.603
    1    
    Added: Jun 27, 2007 at 7:08:16 PM MST
    Saw one mature female standing on a daisy eating a fly.
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  • Jun 22, 2007

    44.429745,-77.230156
    Pamela Martin
    44.4297, -77.2302
    1    
    Added: Jun 22, 2007 at 5:25:07 PM MST
    Misumena vatia (Pamela Martin [Jun 22, 2007])This spider was found on the same Rosa rugosa as the last one I submitted (which is also still there, and looking very full of eggs (or rose chafers)). I was struck by how orange the markings appeared instead of the usual rose or pink.
    Discussion Discuss (1)

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