WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Widespread and fairly common in the South especially around South Wales and the Bristol Region. Habitat includes: Flower-rich areas such as meadows, hedgerows, scrub, woodland edge, roadside verges, wasteland, parks, gardens, allotments, churchyards etc. Life story: It lies still on various flowers waiting for unsuspecting insect prey such as bees and butterflies, pretending to be part of the flower with its camouflage; which can change colour to better suit the flower it is on (it can take several days to change). Females leave 'drag lines' of silk for Males to follow. After mating, Females guard their nests until the young have hatched after which she dies. Length: Males = 5 mm, Females = 11 mm. Colour: white, greenish or yellow. Seen: May to August (peaks May to June) although Females can persist into the Autumn or even Winter. Other names include: Goldenrod Crab Spider (N. America), Flower Crab Spider.