Male Crab Spider on Telegraph Weed
This is a remarkable male Crab Spider (Thomisidae) on a humble but native flower of Telegraph Weed (Heterotheca grandiflora, Asteraceae). The spider is only about 1/10 inch long, but those front legs are much larger - 1/2 inch or more! If you look close at the spider's face, you can see a white ridge between its eyes and mouth parts. That suggests that this is actually a male White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes) - the same kind of large white crab spider I've been photographing in the basil plants in the garden at home! Compare this photo of a female - there is no comparison, except they both have a white ridge under their eyes. This is real sexual dimorphism - meaning that males and females look totally different. See this photo for another example with crab spiders. (San Marcos Pass, 10 September 2017)
I actually got a reprieve from work today as I sent my newsletter draft out to a few society board members for review and comments, and I gave them until noon tomorrow to respond. I took a walk with my camera! I'll get it off to the printers on Monday and do some errands - then we head off to Oregon on Tuesday!
Male Crab Spider on Telegraph Weed
This is a remarkable male Crab Spider (Thomisidae) on a humble but native flower of Telegraph Weed (Heterotheca grandiflora, Asteraceae). The spider is only about 1/10 inch long, but those front legs are much larger - 1/2 inch or more! If you look close at the spider's face, you can see a white ridge between its eyes and mouth parts. That suggests that this is actually a male White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes) - the same kind of large white crab spider I've been photographing in the basil plants in the garden at home! Compare this photo of a female - there is no comparison, except they both have a white ridge under their eyes. This is real sexual dimorphism - meaning that males and females look totally different. See this photo for another example with crab spiders. (San Marcos Pass, 10 September 2017)
I actually got a reprieve from work today as I sent my newsletter draft out to a few society board members for review and comments, and I gave them until noon tomorrow to respond. I took a walk with my camera! I'll get it off to the printers on Monday and do some errands - then we head off to Oregon on Tuesday!