Landcare Research - Manaaki Whenua

Landcare-Research -Manaaki Whenua

Square ended crab spider

Photo by Ruth Renner

Photo by Ruth Renner


Order: Araneae
Family: Thomisidae

Size range

  • small spiders, body length 4–12 mm

Distribution

  • NZ, Australasia and South America

Life History

  • Don’t build webs, but hang by a dragline and catch passing insects
  • Well camouflaged
  • Active day or night
  • So–named because front two pairs legs are longer than back two pairs
  • Ten species described, at least another fifteen undescribed