Common Crab Spider
Xysticus cristatus
The common crab spider is a small ground and low-vegetation hunter found across much of Europe in grassland, woodland edges, gardens, and leaf litter. It does not build a prey-catching web, instead waiting motionless and grabbing passing insects with its sideways-held front legs. Its diet includes flies, small bees, moths, and other arthropods subdued with a venomous bite. A notable feature is its crab-like sideways movement and mottled brown camouflage, which makes it hard to spot against bark, soil, and dead leaves.
- Type
- Stealth
- Conservation status
- NE