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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Chelicerates (Chelicerata) » Arachnids (Arachnida) » Spiders (Araneae) » True Spiders (Araneomorphae) » Entelegynae » Crab Spiders (Thomisidae) » Ground Crab Spiders (Xysticus)
Photo#1024926
unknown crab spider sp. (Thomisidae) - Xysticus - female
Copyright © 2014 eileen miller

unknown crab spider sp. (Thomisidae) - Xysticus - Female
Grant Park, Sac County, Iowa, USA
June 23, 2014
female spider guarding egg sac on milkweed leaf
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Contributed by eileen miller on 6 December, 2014 - 7:13am
Last updated 8 December, 2014 - 7:35am

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Lynette Elliott, 8 December, 2014 - 7:35am login or register to post comments

Are you asking for technical characteristics
or gestalt? Tachnical characters can be found in the dichotomous keys of Spiders of North America (1), pg 247.
If you mean gestalt, we would start with color. They tend to be brown, brown to black, or brown to yellow. Other Thomisids are white, yellow, green, black. The most striking character is the top of the carapace which is rectangular in shape with sloping sides that drop down to the edge. Ozyptila and a couple of Texas specialties have this and are the most difficult to separate out. Ozyptila has a more elongated face, just a couple big spines on its front legs, and club shaped hairs if you can see them.
If this doesn't answer the question, just rephrase it and we will try again.
… john and jane balaban, 7 December, 2014 - 8:48am login or register to post comments

 
Xysticus
Your answer is very helpful. Thanks
… eileen miller, 7 December, 2014 - 9:40am login or register to post comments

Amazing that she built an egg sac bigger than she is!
genus Xysticus
… john and jane balaban, 6 December, 2014 - 8:15am login or register to post comments

 
Xysticus
What characteristics are used to determine the genus, Xysticus?
… eileen miller, 7 December, 2014 - 7:58am login or register to post comments

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