Misumessus oblongus

Taxonomy: Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynes » Crab Spiders (Thomisidae)

Physical Description

The green crab spider is a lighter green in color and is built just like the rest of the crab family, or also known as the Thomisidae family. The front set of “arms” are three times the size as the back legs and use this to it’s advantage. The spider is known for it’s ambush methods within flowers to catch insects that would normally be much harder to catch for the average spider. They also have the ability to change colors and to blend with their environment. The spider catches bugs such as bees, butterflies, and beetles. They don’t spin webs, however they do spin silk whenever the time comes for mating to cover the potential female mate. 

How many eyes does a green crab spider have?

All crab spiders have eight eyes. Their eyes are on the edges of their cephalothorax which are often raised up on bumps, so they can see in every direction [source]. This helps them capture bugs along with their swift long arms.

Green Crab Spider Size

The spider is 3mm-7mm in length. The males is usually smaller than the females as most are in the spider world.

Location

The green crab spider is found throughout the United States, but mainly the southern states such as Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina [source].

Who are they related to?

This spider is related to the Thomisidae family known as the crab family among the 2,000 species in the world. They are known for their crab-like arms that go further out than the average spider. They walk sideways and backwards much like the seashore creatures do. This type of movement is another great advantage when trying to prey upon fast moving bugs that walk by. They're not like Wolf spiders though when it comes to hunting aggressively. They particular like to stay in one spot and trap anything close by. They hide in leaves, in bark, dark crevices and many spots that insects don't expect an ambush.

As for the age of this family, they live to be about a year old based on how harsh the cold winters become. 

Predators

The type of predators that attack the green crab spider are the following: Lizards, wasps, ants, spiders, and birds. The predators must be very strategic when trying to capture the green crab spider though due to his camouflage skills among plants.

What to do when Green Crab Spider bites

The green crab spider is not medically significant to humans at all. However they can immobilize the largest of insects in the United States. So if you do get bit by one, understand there is no threat to the body whatsoever. They are actually quite helpful instead of the contrary due to the fact they target pest to humans. Pest that destroy crops, and those that are extreme annoyance to humans.  

External links:
http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Green-Crab-Spider
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/spiders/crab/crab.htm#whatis
http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_crab_Misumenoides.htm
http://bugguide.net/node/view/1957/bgpage