E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Misumena vatia (Clerck, 1757)
Flower Crab Spider; Goldenrod Crab Spider; Goldenrod Crab Spider
Family: Thomisidae

Photo of species

© Robert Nowland  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #43653)

E-Fauna BC Static Map
Distribution of Misumena vatia in British Columbia
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Introduction


This species has a holarctic distribution. Wikipedia provides the following information on this species: "Young males in the early summer may be quite small and easily overlooked, but females can grow up to 10 mm (excluding legs); males reach 5 mm at most...These spiders may be yellow or white, depending on the flower in which they are hunting. Especially younger females, which may hunt on a variety of flowers such as daisies and sunflowers, may change color "at will". Older females require large amounts of relatively large prey to produce the best possible clutch of eggs. They are therefore, in North America, most commonly found in goldenrod (Solidago sp.), a bright yellow flower which attracts large numbers of insects, especially in autumn." (Wikipedia 2011).

Read about reproduction in this species in an article by Robb Bennett and Brian Klinkenberg (scroll down to page 144).

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)
COSEWIC
NativeSNRNo StatusNot Listed
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Additional Photo Sources

General References


Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2025-02-17 10:15:38 PM]
Disclaimer: The information contained in an E-Fauna BC atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited (with permission) in each section. This information is scientifically based.  E-Fauna BC also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links.  As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information.  E-Fauna BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.


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