About Mecaphesa asperata (Hentz, 1847)
Mecaphesa asperata, commonly called the northern crab spider, is a species of crab spider belonging to the family Thomisidae. This species is distributed across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. It is classified among the 'flower spiders', a group named for their typical hunting behavior: they wait on flowers that match their body color to ambush visiting insects such as bees and flies. M. asperata is a much smaller Nearctic relative of the more widely known Goldenrod Spider (Misumena vatia). This species was previously placed in the genus Misumenops, where it was called Misumenops asperatus. Howell (2004) documented these diagnostic identifying characteristics for the species: M. asperatus can be distinguished from species in the genera Misumenoides and Misumena by the distinct covering of numerous short, stiff spines across its carapace, abdomen, and legs. Its ocular region is white. The lateral portions of the anterior half of the abdomen have red streaks. The posterior half of the abdomen bears a mottled brown to red-brown V-shaped mark that points toward the posterior end. All legs are yellow, except the first tibia and first metatarsus, which have red annuli.
