How to Identify Florida Crab Spiders
There are more than 700 species of spiders living in Florida, including the poisonous brown recluse and black widow. More than 200 species of crab spiders inhabit North America, including Florida crab spiders. These spiders use camouflage as their main form of defense, though they do bite. Like all spiders, Florida crab spiders are equipped with venom; however, their poison is not lethal to humans, though the bite will hurt significantly. Size, environment, color and the way in which the spider holds its legs are the keys to identifying Florida crab spiders.
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Instructions
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Identify how the spider is holding its legs. Unlike most spiders, crab spiders hold their legs outstretched to the sides just like crabs and can move forward, backward or sideways. The front legs are also angled in a similar fashion to crabs.
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Look around at the area where you find the spider. Florida crab spiders do not spin webs, but rather wait on flowers and foliage to attack their prey. Crab spiders are also usually well-camouflaged, often blending into the flower they are sitting on. They are generally yellow or tan in color, or are white with black dots on their stomachs. Male goldenrod crab spiders, for example, are yellow with red spots or bands on their stomachs.
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Observe the spider's size. Florida crab spiders are about five mm (0.2 inches) to 10 mm (0.4 inches) long.
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Tips & Warnings
A bite from a crab spider on the finger causes it to double in size and discolors the finger and nail. The pain then shifts to the hand but will subside in a few hours.
Seek immediate medical attention if bitten by an unknown spider.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Crab Spider on yellow Flower image by Lim Tiaw Leong from Fotolia.com
