Spiders of North Carolina

Arachnids of North Carolina

Order:
Scientific Name: Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

Mecaphesa celer - Swift crab spider Thomisidae Members:			NC Records	BugGuide Account	Public View

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Distribution Records
PDF

Vetting Levels

Adult phenology:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge

synonym

taxonomic_comments

This species was originally described with two different specific epithets in the genus Thomisus by Walckenaer in 1837, but neither of those names was commonly used.

In 1847, Hentz described it as T. celer (Latin, meaning "swift"), and as this epithet was referenced frequently it was thus declared "protected" and has remained.

After surviving another 9 synonymous names, celer was placed in the genus Misumenops, where it remained until 2008 when Lehtinen and Marusik redefined Mesuminops, and placed celer (and some other species) in Mecaphesa.

species_comment

id_comments

Could be confused with Misumena vatia, but Mecaphesa has prominent spines on the dorsal prosoma and opisthosoma, which spines are lacking in Misumena.

total_length

Females 7.1-5.0mm, males 2.5-3.5mm

structural_features

silk_web

fld_guide_descriptions

"The prosoma is pale green and has an off-white X marking near the fovea. There are darker submarginal bands, which can be a little darker than the coloration of the rest of the prosoma or brown. The eyes are on white tubercles. The male prosoma has a red line around the edge. Both the prosoma and opisthosoma have many erect dark spines. The opisthosoma is cream to pale yellow. There is an indistinct tan-colored heartmark, and tan stripes run down the lateral edges. Paired blotches of dark brown to black are on the posterior half of the opisthosoma; these often shift to brown or reddish brown the more posterior they are. The legs are pale green. The females lack any markings on the legs. The males have red spots where there are spines and red bands on the distal tibiae of legs I and II." (Rose, 2022)

online_photos

prey

predators

behavior

Lies in wait on flowers and often seizes insect foraging insects larger than itself.

distribution_reference

technical_reference

Dondale, Charles D. and James H. Redner. 1978. The insects and arachnids of Canada, Part 5. The crab spiders of Canada and Alaska, Araneae: Philodromidae and Thomisidae. Research Branch Agriculture Canada Publication 1663: 255pp.

Lehtinen, P. T. & Marusik, Y. M. (2008). A redefinition of Misumenops F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1900 (Araneae, Thomisidae) and review of the New World species. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 14(4): 173-198.

adult_id

1 identifiable by photo 2 identifiable by photo of specific features and/or supplementary info 3 identifiable from specimen only

abundance

distribution_comments

Found nationwide and into southern Canada.

checklist_mt_high
>=4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom	Frequency Regular – almost always observed on given visit; >=90% chance of observation Frequent – usually observed on a given visit; >=50%<90% chance of observation Infrequent – observed less than 50% of visits; >=25%<50% chance of observation Occasional – observed on only on a small minority of visits; >=10%<25% chance of observation Seldom – not usually seen on visits; <10% chance of observation These terms refer to visits to appropriate habitats made at appropriate times of the year, making use of common sampling/observation methods. Under those conditions, Frequency refers to the chance of observing at least one individual on a given visit made anywhere within a particular region, or over multiple visits to a single site.

checklist_mt_low
<4,000 ft.

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_pd
Piedmont

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

checklist_cp
Coastal Plain

Regular	Frequent	Infrequent	Occasional	Seldom

habitat

Fort Bragg, Cumberland County

observation_methods

state_protection

NHP_ranks

NHP_status

status_comments

Photo Gallery for Mecaphesa celer Swift crab spider
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Columbus Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Columbus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Brunswick Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Columbus Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Mark BASINGER & Donald ZEPP Wayne Co. Comment: Mature male swept from roadside weeds & grasses adjoining Great Swamp.
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger Brunswick Co. Comment: Spots on opisthosoma seem consistent with photos on bugguide Behavior was different than M. asperata, quicker and more defensive.	Recorded by: Mark BASINGER & Donald ZEPP Nash Co. Comment: Swept from tall weeds near river
	Recorded by: Mark BASINGER & Donald ZEPP Pitt Co. Comment: Swept from weeds	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Polk Co. Comment: OVVI Overmountain Victory Trail
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Orange Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Hyde Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Donald Zepp Johnston Co. Comment: Adult female swept from Packera flowers.	Recorded by: Donald Zepp Johnston Co. Comment: Swept from Packera flowers, along with several females
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Iredell Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Iredell Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Cumberland Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Bo Sullivan Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Transylvania Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Stokes Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Wake Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Rockingham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: M. Cumberland Cumberland Co. Comment: CACR - Long Valley Farm Site @ -78.973964, 35.210230	Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn Halifax Co. Comment:

Photo Gallery for Mecaphesa celer Swift crab spider