Green Crab Spider
Scientific Name: Misumessus oblongus (often confused with Misumena vatia)
Order & Family: Araneae (Spiders), Thomisidae (Crab Spiders)
Size: Females are typically 3-7 mm in body length; males are smaller, around 2-4 mm.
Natural Habitat
Gardens, meadows, and open fields, often found sitting on flowers or leaves waiting for prey.
Diet & Feeding
Carnivorous; they are ambush predators that feed on insects such as bees, flies, and butterflies that land on the plants they inhabit.
Behavior Patterns
Unlike web-building spiders, crab spiders actively hunt by camouflage. They sit motionless on vegetation, using their green coloration to blend in until prey comes within reach. They can walk sideways and backward like crabs.
Risks & Benefits
Benefits: They act as natural pest control in gardens by eating flies and other insects. Risks: They are venomous but harmless to humans; their bite is rare, generally not painful, and their venom is not potent enough to cause medical issues.
Identified on: 2/10/2026