Crab spider
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Eleassar
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{{Taxobox
| name = Crab spiders
| image = Ozyptila praticola - front (aka).jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = ''[[Ozyptila praticola]]''
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Arthropoda]]
| classis = [[Arachnida]]
| ordo = [[Araneae]]
| superfamilia = [[Thomisoidea]]
| familia = '''Thomisidae'''
| familia_authority = [[Carl Jakob Sundevall|Sundevall]], 1833
| diversity_link = List of Thomisidae species
| diversity = 170 genera, > 2,000 species
| range_map = Distribution.thomisidae.1.png
| range_map_width = 250px
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
''[[Amyciaea]]''<br />
''[[Aphantochilus]]''<br />
''[[Coriarachne]]''<br />
''[[Diaea]]''<br />
''[[Heriaeus]]''<br />
''[[Misumena]]''<br />
''[[Misumenoides]]''<br />
''[[Misumenops]]''<br />
''[[Ozyptila]]''<br />
''[[Pistius]]''<br />
''[[Rejanellus]]''<br />
''[[Runcinia]]''<br />
''[[Synema (genus)|Synema]]''<br />
''[[Thomisus]]''<br />
''[[Tmarus]]''<br />
''[[Xysticus]]''<br />
''many others''
}}
[[Image:Flower spider with moth02.jpg|thumb|left|250px|A crab spider (''Diaea evanida'') paralysing a moth]]
'''Crab spiders''' make up the '''Thomisidae''' family of the [[Araneae]] order. They are called crab spiders because they resemble crabs, with two front pairs of legs angled outward and bodies that are flattened and often angular. Also, like crabs, Thomisidae can move sideways or backwards. They are very maneuverable in tight places.
Crab spiders do not build webs to trap prey. They are hunters and ambushers. Some species sit on or among flowers, bark, fruit or leaves where they grab visiting insects. ''Misumena vatia'' is one of these. It can change its color between white and yellow to match the flower it sits on. Other species, with their flattened bodies, hunt in the crevices of tree trunks or under loose bark. Members of the genus ''Xysticus'' hunt in the leaf litter on the ground. In each case, crab spiders use their powerful front legs to grab and hold onto prey while paralyzing it with a venomous bite.
The spider family '''Aphantochilidae''' was incorporated into the Thomisidae in the late 1980s. ''Aphantochilus'' species mimic ''[[Cephalotes]]'' ants, on which they prey.
The spiders of Thomisidae are not known to be harmful to humans. Spiders of an unrelated genus, ''[[Sicarius (genus)|Sicarius]]'', also resemble crabs (and are sometimes referred to as "crab spiders"). ''Sicarius'' spiders, close cousins to the [[recluse spider]]s, are highly [[spider bite|venomous]].
==Systematics==
{{main|List of Thomisidae genera}}
The following subfamilies are recognized:
* [[Aphantochilinae]] (3 genera)
* [[Bominae]] Ono, 1984 (9 genera)
* [[Dietinae]] (32 genera)
* [[Stephanopinae]] (35 genera)
* [[Stiphropodinae]] (3 genera)
* [[Strophiinae]] (8 genera)
* [[Thomisinae]] (67 genera)
* ''[[incertae sedis]]''
:* ''[[Ansiea]]'' <small>Lehtinen, 2005</small>
:* ''[[Carcinarachne]]'' <small>Schmidt, 1956</small>
:* ''[[Cozyptila]]'' <small>Lehtinen & Marusik, 2005</small>
:* ''[[Ebelingia]]'' <small>Lehtinen, 2005</small>
:* ''[[Facundia]]'' <small>Petrunkevitch, 1942</small> † (fossil)
:* ''[[Fiducia]]'' <small>Petrunkevitch, 1942</small> † (fossil)
:* ''[[Henriksenia]]'' <small>Lehtinen, 2005</small>
:* ''[[Hexommulocymus]]'' <small>Caporiacco, 1955</small>
:* ''[[Ledouxia]]'' <small>Lehtinen, 2005</small>
:* ''[[Mastira]]'' <small>Thorell, 1891</small>
:* ''[[Megapyge]]'' <small>Caporiacco, 1947</small>
:* ''[[Modysticus]]'' <small>Gertsch, 1953</small>
:* ''[[Rejanellus]]'' <small>Lise, 2005</small>
:* ''[[Syphax (genus)|Syphax]]'' <small>Koch & Berendt, 1854</small> † (fossil)
:* ''[[Tarrocanus]]'' <small>Simon, 1895</small>
:* ''[[Taypaliito]]'' <small>Barrion & Litsinger, 1995</small>
There are 9 genera, containing 130 species of crab spiders in North America.
==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Diaea dorsata - front (aka).jpg|''[[Diaea dorsata]]''
Image:Twin lantana camara edit.jpg|''[[Misumenoides]] formocipes''
Image:Misumena.vatia.beute.wespe.1771.jpg|''[[Misumena vatia]] with wasp''
Image:Ozyptila.atomaria.frontal.jpg|''[[Ozyptila atomaria]]''
Image:Spider on ribwort plant.jpg|''[[Runcinia acuminata]]''
Image:Crab spider ggp.JPG|''[[Misumena vatia]]''
Image:Flower spider at iris.jpg|A crab spider is hiding in Iris
Image:Flower spider.JPG|A crab spider in Iris
Image:IMGP1122.JPG|A crab spider on flower
</gallery>
==See also==
* [[List of Thomisidae species]]
* [[Spider families]]
==References==
*[http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id794 Biolib family Thomisidae]
* Lise, A.A. (2005). ''Rejanellus'', a new genus of Thomisidae (Araneae, Stephanopinae). Iheringia, Sér. Zool. 95(2):151-164. [http://www.scielo.br/pdf/isz/v95n2/a05v95n2.pdf PDF]
==External links==
{{wikispecies|Thomisidae}}
{{commonscat|Thomisidae}}
* [http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_crab_Misumenoides.htm Crab Spider ''Misumenoides formocipes'' diagnostic photos]
* [http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_crab_Xysticus.htm Crab Spider ''Xysticus sp''. photos and information]
* [http://www.americanarachnology.org/HiResGallery/dionyc_Tmarus-angulatus.html ''Tmarus angulatus'' guarding her eggs]
* [http://www.americanarachnology.org/HiResGallery/dionyc_Amyciaea_albomaculata.html Picture of ''Amyciaea albomaculata'']
* [http://www.coestatepark.com/crab_spider.htm Pictures and text of crab spiders]
* [http://americanspiders.zacharoo.com/Crab%20Spider/index.html Photos of American Crab Spiders]
* [http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/australian/thomisidae/crabspiders.html Photos and Info on Australian Crab Spiders]
* [http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/spiders/crab/crab.htm Kentucky Crab Spiders] Photos and Information
* [http://www.americanarachnology.org/HiResGallery/dionyc_Stephanopis_championi.html Picture of ''Stephanopis championi'']
* [http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/subimages.cfm?SUB=4319 Pictures of crab spiders] (free for noncommercial use)
{{Araneae}}
[[Category:Thomisidae|*]]
[[ca:Tomisoïdeu]]
[[cs:Běžníkovití]]
[[de:Krabbenspinnen]]
[[et:Krabiämbliklased]]
[[es:Thomisidae]]
[[fr:Thomisidae]]
[[ko:게거미]]
[[it:Thomisidae]]
[[he:סרטבישיים]]
[[lt:Krabvoriai]]
[[hu:Karolópókfélék]]
[[nl:Krabspinnen]]
[[ja:カニグモ科]]
[[pl:Ukośnikowate (pająki)]]
[[sl:Rakovičarji]]
[[sv:Krabbspindlar]]