Crab Spiders (Thomisidae)
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Crab spiders are between 1 and 12 mm in length. They are ambush predators, and are mostly associated with flowers and foliage, although a few genera are found on the ground or under bark or stones (the most common of these is Xysticus. Misumena vaita is the most frequently seen crab spider and is very commn througout California. The females of this species are quite large and can match the color of various white, yellow, and orange flowers quite closely. Thomisids are best distinguished from running crab spiders (Philodromidae) by their rear legs, which are much shorter and thinner than their front legs. There are around 40 species in around 8 genera in California.
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