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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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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Beautiful shots. Here in the house spiders are held in high esteem. They keep scorpions at bay.
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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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