goldenrod crab spider
misumena vatia latin

The goldenrod crab spider is the largest and most well-known of the North American flower spiders, commonly seen hunting in goldenrod sprays in autumn.

In North America, where it is the largest and best-known flower spider, it is called the goldenrod crab spider or flower (crab) spider, because it is commonly found hunting in goldenrod sprays in the autumn.

In many spider species such as the Misumena Vatia and the Nephila Clavipes species, smaller males climb faster to their mates than larger spiders.

One of the 'flower spiders' (so-called because they generally hunt in similarly colored flowers for visitors such as bees and flies), Misumenops asperatus is a much smaller nearctic relative of the better-known Goldenrod Spider Misumena vatia.