Arachnids of North Carolina
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Misumenoides formosipes - whitebanded crab spider     Thomisidae Members: NC Records BugGuide Account Public View
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Distribution Records
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Vetting Levels
Adult phenology:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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synonym
taxonomic_comments Walckenaer first described this species in 1837 as Thomisus formosipes, but in the very same publication he referenced T. flavescens 15 pages later, and then another 10 pages later mentioned T.pardus, each of which was ultimately synonymized with formosipes, its being the first name used in that one publication. Ten years later, Hentz sympathized with the difficulty of differentiating among these crab spiders, and lumped them together as T. aleatorious.

The aleatori[us|a] epithet stuck with the species for almost a century until Chamberlin and Ivie considered it to be a synonym of formosipes, belonging in Petrunkevitch's 1911 genus Misumenoides, where is has been since 1965.

species_comment
id_comments
total_length Female 5.0–11.3mm, Male 2.5–3.2mm
structural_features
silk_web
fld_guide_descriptions "The female prosoma is white to yellow and sometimes has a pair of submarginal bands that vary from green to brown. Along the clypeus, a carina (transverse ridge) that is white to yellow extends posteriorly [emphasis added].

The opisthosoma varies from white to yellow, occasionally pink to lavender. Brown to red spots may be on the dorsal surface in a V shape that opens toward the posterior. A pair of brown bands may also be on the lateral edge, starting at the pedicel and ending about halfway down the length. The legs are white to yellow and can be unbanded or have dark brown bands at the patella and distal tibia, while the remaining segments are dark brown. The male prosoma is green to orange. The carina is present and usually easy to see on the darker-colored prosoma. The opisthosoma ranges from red to yellow. The first two pairs of legs are very dark, almost black. The other legs are green to yellow. The legs are proportionally much longer in the males than the females. These spiders use the spines on the first two pairs of les to help them grab their prey. This species also has been reported to change color to match the environment." (Rose, 2022)
online_photos
prey
predators
behavior
distribution_reference Bradley, Richard A. 2013. Common Spiders of North America. 1st Edition. University of California Press; Berkley & Los Angeles, California, USA. Rose, Sarah. 2022. Spiders of North America. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ.
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.

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 Nationwide, extending north into southern and pacific Canada
checklist_mt_high
>=4,000 ft.
Regular
Frequent
Infrequent
Occasional
Seldom
 Frequency
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 old field, bog; often on flowers
observation_methods
state_protection
NHP_ranks
NHP_status
status_comments

Photo Gallery for Misumenoides formosipes whitebanded crab spider

Recorded by: Eric Nicoletti
Transylvania Co.
Comment: Female on goldenrod		Recorded by: Eric Nicoletti
Transylvania Co.
Comment: Female on goldenrod
Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Bladen Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Bladen Co.
Comment: Sweep net in Solidago fistulosum.		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Bladen Co.
Comment: Sweep net in Solidago fistulosum.
Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Duplin Co.
Comment: Swept from Persicaria pensylvanica. 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Duplin Co.
Comment: Swept from Persicaria pensylvanica.
Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Sampson Co.
Comment: Sweep net, on Eupatorium spp. flower heads, with Peucetia viridans.		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Sampson Co.
Comment: Sweep net, on Eupatorium spp. flower heads, with Peucetia viridans.
Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wayne Co.
Comment: Caught just before it before heavy rain.		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wayne Co.
Comment: Caught just before it before heavy rain.
Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wilson Co.
Comment: 7mm body length 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wilson Co.
Comment: 7mm body length
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Rockingham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Mitchell Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Henderson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Montgomery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Stanly Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Stanly Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Chatham Co.
Comment: White Pines Survey		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Lenoir Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Pitt Co.
Comment: Sandy pine-mixed hardwood forest above Tar River. 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Pitt Co.
Comment: Sandy pine-mixed hardwood forest above Tar River.
Recorded by: Chuck Smith
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Rutherford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: M. Haynes
McDowell Co.
Comment: BOCR - vein mtn area		Recorded by: Nora Murdock
Henderson Co.
Comment: On ironweed flowers (Vernonia noveboracensis)
Recorded by: Nora Murdock
Henderson Co.
Comment: On ironweed flowers (Vernonia noveboracensis)		Recorded by: R. Browder
Surry Co.
Comment: PIMO - Seen on downy lobelia flower. @ -80.471196, 36.347365
Recorded by: Nicholas L. Prince
Columbus Co.
Comment: I find these all over my farm in summer & autumn months		Recorded by: Nicholas L. Prince
Columbus Co.
Comment: I find these all over my farm in summer & autumn months
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Owen McConnell
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: K. Bischof
Transylvania Co.
Comment: GORG - Obs. along roadside on Loop Rd. near overlook. Both female.		Recorded by: K. Bischof
Transylvania Co.
Comment: GORG - Obs. along roadside on Loop Rd. near overlook. Both female.
Recorded by: R. Newman
Carteret Co.
Comment: FOMA - sound side residence yard @ -76.682447, 34.696099		Recorded by: R. Newman
Carteret Co.
Comment: FOMA
Recorded by: Simpson Eason
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Owen McConnell
Granville Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Donald ZEPP
Johnston Co.
Comment: In situ photos		Recorded by: Brian Wagner
Cumberland Co.
Comment: Found on car window, taken to D. ZEPP for ID. Posed on Betula sapling for ex situ photos, then released.
Recorded by: Brian Wagner
Cumberland Co.
Comment: Found on car window, taken to D. ZEPP for ID. Posed on Betula sapling for ex situ photos, then released.		Recorded by: Brian Wagner
Cumberland Co.
Comment: Found on car window, taken to D. ZEPP for ID. Posed on Betula sapling for ex situ photos, then released.
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales
Sampson Co.
Comment: On flowers of climbing hempweed (Mikania scandens) growing on the edge of a tractor path in front of my mothers home.		Recorded by: Michael P. Morales
Sampson Co.
Comment: On flowers of climbing hempweed (Mikania scandens) growing on the edge of a tractor path in front of my mothers home.
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales
Sampson Co.
Comment: On flowers of climbing hempweed (Mikania scandens) growing on the edge of a tractor path in front of my mothers home.		Recorded by: Mark Shields
Pender Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Pat Momich
Madison Co.
Comment: crab spider captured a fiery skipper!		Recorded by: Pat Momich
Madison Co.
Comment: crab spider captured a fiery skipper!
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Surry Co.
Comment: Summit rocks		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Cherokee Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Erich Hofmann
Craven Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Erich Hofmann
Craven Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: B. McRae
Macon Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Moore Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Vin Stanton
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams
Gates Co.
Comment: MEMI - Male
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman
Scotland Co.
Comment: in a Carolina bay
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman
Scotland Co.
Comment: in a Carolina bay		Recorded by: K. Bischof
McDowell Co.
Comment: LAJA - Obs. ranger residence - 3193. Found waiting on prey on swamp milkweed - Asclepias incarnate.
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Stokes Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka
Madison Co.
Comment: Feeding on a Red-spotted Purple; was perched on the leaves of Phlox maculata in our native plant garden.
Recorded by: Jim Petranka
Madison Co.
Comment: Feeding on a Red-spotted Purple; was perched on the leaves of Phlox maculata in our native plant garden.		Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Halifax Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jane Wyche
Gates Co.
Comment: MEMI - across from the park entrance off of Highway 158		Recorded by: K. Bischof
Transylvania Co.
Comment: GORG - Obs. at the overlook along the loop rd.
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Rockingham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof
Beaufort Co.
Comment: GOCR - Obs. ranger 2's residence. @ -76.901464, 35.480015
Recorded by: S. Williams
Camden Co.
Comment: DISW - Forest Line		Recorded by: T. DeSantis
Camden Co.
Comment: DISW - Behind maintenance building, on passionflower
Recorded by: Newman, Randy
Onslow Co.
Comment: HABE - Mainland 		Recorded by: E. Corey and C. Dykstra
Beaufort Co.
Comment: GOCR - Swept up in Longleaf Pine field
Recorded by: Newman,Randy
Carteret Co.
Comment: FOMA - Fort moat pond dike		Recorded by: Newman,Randy
Carteret Co.
Comment: FOMA - Fort moat pond dike
Recorded by: FKW
Gates Co.
Comment: MEMI - Canoe rental area.		Recorded by: FKW
Gates Co.
Comment: MEMI - Canoe rental area.
Recorded by: Brian Bockhahn
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Scott Bolick
Forsyth Co.
Comment: I submitted this record with the wrong voucher just a moment ago. This record has the correct voucher. The other record had a voucher from the same species already submitted.
Recorded by: Scott Bolick
Richmond Co.
Comment: