Picture of the Month – The Beautiful Crab Spider
Sunday, 8 November 2026
…and it is rather lovely, isn’t it? Its scientific name is Poecilothomisus
speciosus and that’s where is gets its English name – speciosus is a Latin
word for beautiful. If you are
curious, the Poecilothomisus part of its name is from Greek meaning spotted
crab spider. It is found in Australia
– specifically North Queensland, where it resides among creek-bank trees. It is said to fold leaves together to disguise
its presence from it prey, the leafhopper.
Other creatures it goes after include moths and the huntsman spider
(which is considerably larger than the 14mm length of our beauty.
It is the yellow coloring that immediately drew my attention.
The contrast between the yellow and its black spots is wonderful. No wonders its secondary name is the ornate
crab spider. It is the female of the species which is yellow - but the male seems to still be largely undocumented.
Although the species is not listed as endangered (more because
we don’t know if it is or isn’t due to lack of research!) it is certainly on of
a kind. It is the only entry in the Poecilothomisus
genus. Despite its flattering name and
striking appearance, this little Australian spider has received comparatively
little scientific attention. It just goes to show how much extraordinary
wildlife remains relatively obscure. Fluffier,
cuter species often get the most attention!
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