Some crab spiders hiding underneath flowers! This is a known undescribed species, currently labeled "black tibia spot" (for obvious reasons) as far as I know. I see them pretty often hanging out, especially on fleabane flowers like this. Crab spiders are ambush predators, and most in the genus Mecaphesa lie in wait on similarly-colored flowers until a prey item (flies, beetles, and perhaps small bees) lands on it. The spider quickly overtakes its prey and hides underneath the petals of the flower to enjoy. A rather boring life for us, but these guys don't seem to mind!

Crab Spider (Genus Mecaphesa) in my parents' garden, September 2018. Named for their superficially crab-like appearance (their front two pairs of legs are much larger than the rear ones), these spiders can be extremely variable in colour patterns making them difficult to identify to species. The males and females also look quite different from one another, the individual in this photo is a female. Next time, we'll look at a Male and see the reason these spiders are often found in flowers. . . . . . . . #nature #ontario #garden #crabspider #mecaphesa #spiders_of_the_world #spiderphoto #macrospider #macrospiderphotography #thomisidae #invert_macro #macro_brilliance #macromood #spidersofontario #spidersofcanada #spider #naturemacro #macrogarden (at Norfolk County, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEoRbaIguUl/?igshid=is6z6yuclzd

Found this Northern Crab #spider (Mecaphesa asperata) on my car hood. I relocated this little one to a neighboring tree. They are so cute. #mecaphesa #entymology #entomologia #entomologylove #spiders #crabspider #spidersofinstagram #spidersoftheworld #spuder #eightleggedfriend (at Denton, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz7vbbmlDmr/?igshid=sxwqk5drz32g

Welcome to Arachtober, an entire month full of photos of spiders and other arachnids. Please enjoy this cool little crab spider, Mecaphesa sp., that I found in my yard last May.

(Crab spider, Mecaphesa sp.)

It took a while after things started to bloom, but the predators have really taken over my pollinator garden this season. This is just one of dozens tiny crab spiders (Mecaphesa sp.) trolling the mountain mint plants.

I’m sure I will regret having already posted this come Arachtober, but I could not resist sharing this adorable crab spider (Mecaphesa asperata) I found in the daffodils the other day.