Arizona has many different crab spiders.
We have colorful ones that hide in flowers.
We have gentle giants (Olios sp.).
This week we have a new (to us) crab spider.
It was small spot, a body and legs sunning on a car cover. At first glance, I thought it might be a tick.
A closer look shows it is a spider because it has two distinct body regions. Ticks are basically one oval body.
The forward-directed front legs indicate it is a crab spider.
In fact, it appears to be a ground crab spider, Xysticus sp. (Experts, please correct me).
It’s always fun to find something new.
Want to learn a few basics about how to identify spiders? See our previous post.
Or pick up a book from our growing list of children’s books about spiders at Science Books for Kids.
