There is a group of spiders commonly known as “Crab Spiders”. This group of spiders are mainly linked to the family Thomisidae, although the term “crab spider” is also loosely applied to many other families of spiders. Many members of the family Thomisidae are found on flowers waiting for prey, hence their other common name “Flower Spiders“, and by extensions, some are also known as “Flower Crab Spiders”.1

You will also find that there is another common group know as “Flower Spiders”, that may or may not have links with the “Crab Spiders” group.

At time of writing, the family Thomisidae had a listing of 171 genera, encompassing some 2,167 species.

White Crab Spider (Thomisus spectabilis), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones
White Crab Spider (Thomisus spectabilis), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones
Hairy Crab Spider (Sidymella hirsuta), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones
Hairy Crab Spider (Sidymella hirsuta), Brisbane QLD © Stefan Jones
Bee (Lasioglossum Parasphecodes sp.) and spider (Crab Spider Runcinia acuminata), Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman
Crab Spider (Runcinia acuminata) with Bee (Lasioglossum Parasphecodes sp.),
Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman
Red-tipped Crab Spider (Sidymella rubrosignata) on a Flannel Flower, Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why NSW
Red-tipped Crab Spider (Sidymella rubrosignata) on a Flannel Flower (Actinotus helianthi),
Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why NSW

This section about Crab Spiders is under development, check back as more information coming soon…

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Chelicerata
  • Class: Arachnida
  • Order: Araneae
  • Suborder: Araneomorphae
  • Infraorder: Entelegynae
  • Superfamily: Thomisoidea
  • Family: Thomisidae
  • Genus:
    • Amyciaea (Ant Mimicking Crab Spiders)
    • Borboropactus (Litter Crab Spiders)
    • Diaea (Flower Spiders)
    • Misumena (Flower Crab Spiders)
    • Monaeses (Tailed Grass Crab Spiders)
    • Mystaria (Beetle Crab Spiders)
    • Oxytate (Green Grass Crab Spiders)
    • Ozyptila (Leaflitter Crab Spiders)
    • Pherecydes (Wide-eyed Crab Spiders)
    • Phrynarachne (Bird Dropping Crab Spiders)
    • Runcinia (Grass Crab Spiders)
    • Sidymella (Square-ended Crab Spiders)
    • Stephanopis (Cryptic Crab Spiders)
    • Tharrhalea (Flower Spiders)
    • Thomisops (Stumpy Crab Spiders)
    • Thomisus (Flower Crab Spiders)
    • Tmarus (Octopus Spiders)
    • Xysticus (Ground Crab Spiders)

      there are approximately 171 genera, encompassing 2,167 species (with more species being discovered)

Footnote & References

  1. Crab Spiders (Family Thomisidae), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/47866-Thomisidae
  2. FAMILY THOMISIDAE – Flower Spiders, Crab Spiders, Brisbane Insects and Spiders Home Page, https://www.brisbaneinsects.com/pchew_brisbane/index.html
  3. Thomisidae, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomisidae

SpidersIndex of Spider Images Spiders in Australia Spiders Index Araneidae — Orb Weavers Arkys Australian Huntsman Spider Barking Spider Black House Spider Carepalxis sp Celaenia sp Crab Spiders Deinopidae — Net-casting Spiders Dolomedes sp Dolophones sp Euryopis umbilicate (Superb Ant-eater Spider) Flower Spiders Hackled Orbweavers (Uloboridae) Herennia sp Jewel Spider Jumping Spider Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp) Lynx Spider (Oxyopes) Mangrovia albida Maratus Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) Miturgidae Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Nyssus coloripes (Orange-legged Swift Spider) Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Poltys sp (Twig Spider) Redback Spider Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi) Thomisidae Wolf Spider Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus)