ThomisidaeRuncinia acuminata Sidymella Sidymella hirsuta Tharrhalea sp Tharrhalea evanida Tharrhalea multopunctata Thomisus spectabilis Tmarus cinerasceus Xysticus bimaculatus Zygometis xanthogaster
The family Thomisidae is one of the most colourful collection of spider families that includes the Crab Spiders, the Flower Spiders and the Flower Crab Spiders.
Although the term “crab spider” is loosely applied to many other families of spiders, it is the family Thomisidae that are commonly seen on flowers, especially waiting for passing prey.
Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman
Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden, Dee Why NSW
These crab spiders / flower spiders are usually colourful, their colours reflecting the flowers that they are found on, providing camouflage, against predators such as birds and enabling the spiders to ambush approaching insects.
At time of writing, there were listed in the family Thomisidae, 171 genera, encompassing some 2,167 species.
Some of the Flower Spiders are brownish to green, especially on the carapace and legs, with an abdomen that is white to yellow. The white and yellow colouring suit spiders that like to wait in the centre of flowers, especially for nectar-feeding insects.
The genus Sidymella are unique looking spiders, commonly known as the Square-ended Crab Spiders, Fork-tailed Sidymella and Awl-tailed Sidymella Spider.
Following is the Long-legged Crab Spider (Sidymella longipes), a medium to large crab spider that has long legs. It is widely distributed on the Australia’s east coast and also common on New Zealand’s north Island. The species name longipes means long legs.
This section about Thomisidae family of spiders is under development, check back as more information is added…
- 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)
- Genus: Diaea (Flower Spiders)
- Species:
- Diaea albicincta
- Diaea albolimbata
- Diaea ambara
- Diaea bengalensis
- Diaea bipunctata
- Diaea carangali
- Diaea delata
- Diaea doleschalli
- Diaea dorsata
- Diaea giltayi
- Diaea graphica
- Diaea gyoja
- Diaea implicata
- Diaea insignis
- Diaea limbata
- Diaea livens
- Diaea longisetosa
- Diaea mikhailovi
- Diaea mutabilis
- Diaea nakajimai
- Diaea ocellata
- Diaea osmanii
- Diaea papuana
- Diaea placata
- Diaea pougneti
- Diaea proclivis
- Diaea puncta
- Diaea rohani
- Diaea rufoannulata
- Diaea semilutea
- Diaea seminola
- Diaea septempunctata
- Diaea shirleyi
- Diaea simplex
- Diaea sphaeroides
- Diaea spiniformis
- Diaea spinosa
- Diaea subdola
- Diaea suspiciosa
- Diaea tadtadtinika
- Diaea taibeli
- Diaea terrena
- Diaea tianpingensis
- Diaea tongatabuensis
- Diaea viridipes
- Diaea zonura
there are approximately 46 species in this genus (at time of writing)
Footnote & References
- Crab Spiders (Family Thomisidae), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/47866-Thomisidae
- FAMILY THOMISIDAE – Flower Spiders, Crab Spiders, Brisbane Insects and Spiders Home Page, https://www.brisbaneinsects.com/pchew_brisbane/index.html
- Thomisidae, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomisidae
- Flower Spiders, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/flower-spiders/
- Flower Spiders (Genus Diaea), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/199493-Diaea
ThomisidaeRuncinia acuminata Sidymella Sidymella hirsuta Tharrhalea sp Tharrhalea evanida Tharrhalea multopunctata Thomisus spectabilis Tmarus cinerasceus Xysticus bimaculatus Zygometis xanthogaster
SpidersIndex of Spider Images Spiders in Australia 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 Flower Spiders Hackled Orbweavers (Uloboridae) Jewel Spider Jumping Spider Long Jawed Spider (Tetragnatha sp) Lynx Spider (Oxyopes) Mangrovia albida Maratus volans Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) Miturgidae Nicodamidae (Red and Black Spider) Ogre-faced Net-casting Spider Poltys sp (Twig Spider) Redback Spider Scorpion-tailed Spider (Arachnura higginsi) Thomisidae Tiger Spider (Trichonephila plumipes) White-spotted Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus) Wolf Spider