Misumenoides formosipes
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| Misumenoides formosipes | |
|---|---|
_-_Misumenoides_formosipes,_Julie_Metz_Wetlands,_Woodbridge,_Virginia.jpg) | |
| Female | |
_-_Misumenoides_formosipes,_Meadowood_Farm_SRMA,_Mason_Neck,_Virginia.jpg) | |
| Male | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Araneae |
| Infraorder: | Araneomorphae |
| Family: | Thomisidae |
| Genus: | Misumenoides |
| Species: | M. formosipes |
| Binomial name | |
| Misumenoides formosipes (Walckenaer, 1837) | |
Misumenoides formosipes is a species of crab spiders (Thomisidae), belonging to the genus Misumenoides ("crab" or "flower" spiders). The species' unofficial common name is white banded crab spider, which refers to a white line that runs through the plane of their eyes. This species is a sit-and-wait predator that captures pollinators as they visit the inflorescences on which the spider sits. The spider has strong front legs which are used to seize prey.[1] The female spider is much larger than the male. The pattern of markings on females is variable and the overall color of the body can change between white and yellow dependent on the color of their surroundings. The color pattern for males, which does not change in their lifetime, differs from females in that the four front legs of males are darker and the abdomen is gold. The spider can be found throughout the United States and Colombia (Copacabana- Antioquia) .[2] Males search for sedentary females within a heterogeneous habitat and guard them until they are sexually mature to reproduce.[3][4]
Females
White banded crab spiders are differentiated from other similar species by the presence of the white ridge below the bottom row of eyes. They get the name crab spider because of their resemblance to crabs in their shape and front legs.
Female M. formosipes have a length of 5.0–11.3 millimetres (0.20–0.44 in). They can change their coloring to appear as white, yellow, or light brown and can have various markings along their body that are red, black, or brown. Their posterior is a rounded triangular shape.[5]
Males
Male M. formosipes are much smaller than the females and only have a length of 2.5–3.2 mm (0.10–0.13 in). Their front legs are a much longer and a darker color than their back legs. The abdomen is a gold color that cannot be changed, unlike the female.[5]
Behavior
Floral attraction
M. formosipes is a non-web building spider, so they use flowers to catch pollinators as well as find mates. Males spend a majority of their time searching for mates, primarily females close to adulthood, so they search for inflorescences by the smell they give off. A common flower that M. formosipes is attracted to is the Rudbeckia hirta. Males tend to feed on the nectar of flowers, specifically Daucus carota.[6]
Color-changing ability
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Female M. formosipes are able to change their color between yellow and white to better match the flower they are occupying. The change from white to yellow can take over 3 days,[7] while the change from yellow to white takes longer. The yellow coloring is due to ommochrome pigments being produced.[8] The appearance of white is due to guanine and uric acid in the epidermis.[9]
