About Misumenoides formosipes (Walckenaer, 1837)
Misumenoides formosipes is a species of crab spiders in the family Thomisidae, belonging to the genus Misumenoides, a group commonly called crab or flower spiders. This species has an unofficial common name, the white banded crab spider, which comes from a white line that runs through the plane of its eyes. This species is a sit-and-wait predator; it captures pollinators that visit the inflorescences where the spider sits. The spider has strong front legs that it uses to seize prey. Females are much larger than males. Female marking patterns are variable, and the entire body can change color between white and yellow based on the color of its surroundings. Male color pattern does not change over the course of their lifetime, and differs from females: males have darker four front legs and a gold abdomen. This spider can be found across the United States, and in Copacabana, Antioquia, Colombia. In heterogeneous habitats, males search for sedentary females and guard them until the females reach sexual maturity to reproduce.
