Bob Suchanek, Water and Wetlands Steward
Photo Credit – Bob Suchanek
“I could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive mortals.”- Jonathan Swift, Gulliver’s Travels
A Spider’s World
Most living things are small by human standards. Finding the sometimes ignored world of the small requires looking near your feet, under sticks, and between the cracks.
Predators at any scale have always been a source of wonder and fear for me. My favorite childhood movies involved heroes and heroines confronted by T-rex or some equally intrepid carnivore intent on making them lunch. Spiders are alpha predators in the world of the small.
The elegant crab spider belongs to the ambush hunter guild of spiders that don’t build webs. They catch their prey by relying on patience, camouflage, speed and a variety of unique specializations. Some have venom injecting bites and some even cast silken nets to immobilize their victims. Crab spiders have powerful widely spread front legs.
The male Xysticus elegans is a 6 millimeter long (medium sized) guild member. His female counterpart is twice his size. They capture prey close to the ground, under logs and debris, in leaf litter or on vegetation.
Some additional sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xysticus_elegans
Spiders of North America by Sarah Rose, Copyright 2022 by Princeton University Press