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Crab Spiders, Moths

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Poor guy
Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 8:22 AM
Any idea for either the moth or spider?
Photographed in the Langeberg Range in South Africa in montane fynbos ecosystem. Photo is attached
Brett
Langeberg Range in South Africa

Hi again Brett,
We haven’t a clue about the moth, but the spider is a Crab Spider in the family Thomisidae. Crab Spiders don’t build webs, and many species sit camouflaged in flowers awaiting pollinating insects.

Update: Crab Spider eats unknown Moth in South Africa
Tue, Jan 6, 2009
Hi Daniel:
I can’t resist a twofer. The photo provides only a partial underside view of the moth, which looks like a Geometrid to me. Unfortunately, from the perspective of providing an identification, West Cape Province has over a 100 species of Geometridae and South Africa as a whole apparently has over 1000 species, most of them dressed in cryptic grays and sepias. The spider is indeed in the Thomisidae family, likely a flower crab spider in the genus Thomisus , of which there are at least 15 to choose from. The closest match I could find was T. citrinellus . Regards.
Karl

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