Day 312: Misumena vatia is known commonly as the Flower Crab Spider or Goldenrod Crab Spider because that's where you usually find members of the species hunting or waiting for their prey. They do not construct webs, tunnels or nests in which to over-winter. Their colouration is highly variable from nearly white to banana yellow, and an individual spider's hue may become brighter over a period of two to three weeks as yellow pigments are secreted into the outer layer of its body's cellular structure. If the spider moves to a white flower, the reverse occurs more quickly (approximately six days) as the pigment is excreted. The sides of the body may be marked with brown or red. Misumena vatia's venom is particularly toxic to bees. Its other favoured prey species include butterflies, wasps and grasshoppers.
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