My favourite Arsenal supporter, the taciturn Prof. T, posted a picture of what looked like a species of crab spider. However, even with the best eyes in the world positive ID is proving well nigh impossible, even with the help of Google.
It also meant trawling my spider files to find a match up.
During my rummaging I was struck by not only the number of photos and variety of crab spiders I have on file but the fact how scarce they have been these past couple of years.
A bit disconcerting if one considers that the flora dans mon jardin has not noticeably changed.
Anyhoo … I thought I’d give a few of the many crab spider shots an airing so you lily-livered arachnophobes can squirm a bit or, if you have no fear, delight in these mini-marvels of camouflage and ambush.
In the pink?
Carefully disguised. However, this bee was just a tad too big to handle. For the crab spider, patience is the watchword.
That oops moment!
All creatures great and …. especially small!
This is called a Running Crab Spider. Appropriately named!
Size isn’t everything. Female flower crab spider with mate.
Misumenops rubrodecoratus (common red back crab spiders) There is one species in this genus. Lucky for me this one decided to pay the garden a visit. Only seen it once since.
Grass Crab Spider
Flower Crab Spider on Cosmos.
Ark
A Tale Unfolds 
I always thought that for spiders, ‘mate’ is just another word for ‘lunch’?
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For Jeffrey Dahmer too!
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Had to look the name up … amazing hobbies some folks have; brrrrr …
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Haha… and more a ‘British lunch’ at that! 😉 We Texans only know two words here: BBQ and SHOOT! 🔫 😟🤦♂️
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And those are just the two words Texans scream when they see a black person!
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Yep! And having lived in Oklahoma a bit, Pink, you would know, eh? Okie isn’t that different from Texas, sadly.
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Very much so! In fact Texas is probably more diverse. During my time in Oklahoma I never had a black classmate.
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And certainly not a Native American Indian I’m sure… as Okie’s state name is ironically a “Native American” word of the Choctaws: okla = people and humma = red. IOW, the “red people” of Oklahoma were never in sight, correct? 😕
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We had Indians for the Thanksgiving parade 😀
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🤦♂️ (smh) That’s SO Euro-American Settlers of the 19th-century, isn’t it? I better stop here; we could fill-up several pages of Ark’s comment-section with America’s dark shameful history that white Euro-Americans want to constantly sweep under the Indian rugs and out of sight, eh Pink? 🙄
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Although, since Ark does have a soft spot for great music, I’ll play this music-video in tribute to White Euro-America’s treatment of Native Peoples here. Listen closely to all the lyrics if you aren’t familiar with the song…
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Is that song revenge for the Native American genocide 😀
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If you are stating the obvious in appropriate sarcasm(?), then yes. If you were asking a dead serious question (with laughing emoji), then technically it is a song & lyrics shamefully revealing the “step aside, you’ve been removed” white Euro-American savagery inflicted upon Native peoples, not only on the North American continent, but around the globe. But I have a feeling you already know all of this Pink. I’m not telling you anything new. 😉 🙂
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Remember Beds are Burning?
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Oh man DO I!!!! Great reference Ark! 👏🏻
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They played South Africa many moons ago, but for some reason that escapes me now I never saw them.
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BBQ, put me down for lunch … but not as lunch, and not for ‘long pork’. Brrrr …
Shoot? Good fun so long as all concerned are safe; which means, when I’m shooting the safest place is right in front of the target. (Sheesh …)
Actually, despite an inbuilt nerve tremor I wasn’t too bad a shot.
In Nelson’s day the adage was “Fire on the upward roll!” and for me with a pistol it was “Shoot when the sights cross the target” (it seemed to work).
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😆 I’ll stand WELL behind you Argus… like in a concrete bunker crouched down. Don’t wanna distract you or make that nervouse twitch of yours do anything scary ya know! 😬
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Beautiful shots. Here in the house spiders are held in high esteem. They keep scorpions at bay.
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Hello equinoxio21. Spiders and house scorpions …Dang humans will live in the most inhospitable dangerous terrain possible won’t they? Talk about living boldly in the face of danger. 😋😀😉 Hugs
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Boldly? LOL. We have far less scorpions here than in the previous house.
All well Scottie? Health?
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Hello Brian. Every day is an adventure and a journey. You know how it is. Ron and I are trying to walk between 20 and 30 minutes a day at least four times a week. Not sure how it has improved our health but I have sure given my deodorant a hard workout. 😀😁 I hope all is well for you and your family. Hugs
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20-30 minutes a day is good. Keep at it…
Cheers
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This is a very fine collection of crab spiders!
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When you say “…even with the best eyes in the world,” are you referencing your advanced eyesight (in terms of decades & centuries) 🤓 or those of the 4-6 eyed agile, carnivorous Crab Spiders found all over both our spectacular gardens devouring pollinators? 🕷️🍽️ (chomp chomp!) Or might you be referencing my -850 to -900 eyesight—in terms of 20/20? If so Ark, we will be here a long, long time wandering aimlessly about our yards! 👴👴 << Ark and Mr. D
Btw, I am still endeavoring to ID this little quick, devouring critter, even if I must contact Mikel Arteta and Stan Kroenke—whose skills at spotting & recruiting a defenseman of Virgil van Dijk quality is renown! 🙄—and return my Dunners to the days of glory and trophies!
(in his best impersonation cheers of Mel Gibson in Braveheart…)
Ark!? Are you with me mate!? ⚔️🛡️
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Well Ark, I’ve been through some 400–500 pics of Texas Hill Country (central) spiders and crab spiders with no certain successful identification. Perhaps I’ve discovered a brand new, unknown genus of crab spider, yes!? 🥳
If not, then my well-deduced conclusion, after hours upon hours, days upon days racking my big brain in stringent investigative predatory arachniding, I have tentatively classified our elusive critter as a juvenile Tmarus. Perhaps the Angulatus species, but in its first few hour/days/week of ambushing and lunching! Your thoughts Dr. Arkesatan?
If it is a new, unknown genus then I will call it: Tmarus Texicatus Nan-ulatus …after our dear friend and spider-lover Nan who inspired me, along with Dr. Arkesatan, to classify this fine carnivorous predatory specimen!!!
P.S. I’ve submitted my three, granted poor-quality photos to SpiderID.com for analysis. Watch this space for upcoming results. 😁
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Good call,Mister D.Tmarus it could well be. But I did notice that of all the sightings not one is recorded in the U S of A. Import, perhaps?
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Most likely it seems. These particular geraniums Mom brought from her previous residence—in an even more remote central Texas area further north—but no telling where she picked up the flowers OR that location up there may have picked it up earlier then it hopped onto her geraniums. 🤔 Do crab spiders fly (as some sort of passenger on/with/inside migrating birds?) from far reaches intercontinentally!? 😮 I’m asking you, the expert.
And, as I’ve alluded about the booming population growth of Texas the last 10-yrs, there’s all sorts of ports of entry here those little buggers could of hitched a ride to smile for my camera… perhaps to get a date with some of YOUR male crabbies! Her empassioned profile on the new dating website FindLove-n-Crabs.com reads:
Watcha think Ark? Let’s be two Cupids!
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Hello Ark. I cannot count the many spiders lives you have saved in my home due to the tolerance you have helped me have, for the death dealing sent from hell to torture all life on earth beasts. I cannot remember how many years I have been a viewer of your exquisite and detailed photos but before then if I seen a spider which all of them were normally the size of a dinner plate I am sure, I would normally grab the nearest large heavy object, normally my husband and demand he join the dreaded enemy in battle to save our lives. If such husband or other sacrificial human defender was not there I tried to kill the deadly assassin with high pitched sound waves that some people rudely call hysterical screaming while running madly away. Or in my case waddling as fast as my weak legs could unsafely move my flabby sloshing belly to the safety of hiding behind one of my cats.
However since having spent years being educated at the Ark school of arachnid love I am comfortable with a more live and let live policy towards these invaders of my serenity. At a distance and preferably on the other side of the wall from me. But no longer is simply being seen a death sentence for the creatures that only the mother monster spawner could claim are not things the devil made to be nightmare inducing. The policy in our home now is to be mercifully to the invading hoard of creepiness and to remove them via a container to the outside of the home, preferably several miles outside from our home. I have even been known in times of desperation due to having no one come to my shrieks of fear, to have even put on thick gardening gloves with a heavy long sleeve shirt and after taping the cuffs so no attacking 8 legged multiple fanged marauder can race up my arm under my shirt and using a long wooden spoon brush the Chihuahua sized seizure inducing creature into a container with a lid and then racing outside with it before it claws its way out of the thick walled storage container and in a desperate attempt to see through the feverish sweat pouring off my brow I rip the lid off it while tossing the container filled with pain on the ground and backing away searching for the evil supernatural dealer of death to make a desperate lunge for my jugular as my reward for being merciful.
Many eight-legged ravagers of humanity have been saved due to your diligent championing of them. However I must remark that your attempt to make them all seem innocent colorful flower lovers is not being honest to the majority of these hairy fast large fangs dripping with poison piston powered legs long distant jumping ambush scourge of humanity that have millions of eggs hatching every more of the army of hidden heart attack giving by sneaking up and dropping down on you in the shower or dark bathroom on thread they produce to entangle and hog tie humans with the hope to end human existence on the planet.
Best wishes and hugs … while I look around fearfully for the many glistening eyes that hide in the dark to creep silently towards sleeping humans to crawl into their ears and eat their brains. 😛😜😝🤤 Thanks for the grand photos.
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Well aren’t you sweet!
While you are definitely not a spider lover, ( yet) nevertheless, it is heartwarming to know I have
contributed to alleviating your former pants-wetting, neighbour-alerting shrieking former self.
As summer approaches down here I will endeavour to supply a steady stream of sphincter tightening, bowel loosening little friends to brighten up your day.
Your friend
Spiderman Ark.
😉
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A GRAND persiflage, Scottie! 👍👏👏👏
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