Crab spider

Fact Box Species: Diaea evanida (JS) (or a closely related species) Family: Thomisidae Body length: female: 6 mm male: 4 mm Habitat: On green leaves in garden shrubs and very often in a retreat formed by curling a green leaf into a loop and partly sealing it with silk Toxicity: Unknown but this spider is almost certainly too small to cause significant human illness

Another female In retreat with eggs Female and male Male, female mating A colourful female Another male Another view

This species is typical of Diaea species in that it has green legs and cephalothorax and a whitish abdomen with red markings. This allows it to hide on green leaves or in flowers and to catch insects by stealth.

As shown on this page, Diaea species can exhibit a remarkable degree of sexual dimorphism, the male being quite unlike the female in appearance.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Diaea species and Zygometis lactea.