Subject: Green Lynx Spiders Everywhere!
Location: Palm Beach County, Florida
August 28, 2015 10:43 am
Hello What’s That Bug!
I was exploring Pine Glades Natural Area in northern Palm Beach County, Florida and came across lots of bug and spider life on the grasses and Spanish needles growing along the nature trail. I was able to sweet-talk a beautiful adult green lynx spider into letting me get close with my camera to snap a few pictures. I also came across very tiny spiders sitting on the Spanish needle flowers just waiting to pounce on any small bug that walked by. I believe these tiny spiders are baby green lynx spiders. I included a picture – please let me know if I am correct. It never ceases to amaze me that so much life can be found on one plant! Love your web site – I find myself visiting it frequently to help me identify insects I find while working outdoors in Palm Beach County’s natural areas.
Signature: Ann Mathews
Dear Ann,
We have numerous Green Lynx Spiders in our own garden right now in Los Angeles. We find them on basil flowers, daisies and sunflowers where they await to ambush flying insects. Your second spider is a species of Crab Spider in the family Tomisidae, probably Misumenops bellulus, based on this BugGuide image, also from Florida.
Thank you so much for the quick response. I will add the crab spider species to the Pine Glades Natural Area animal listing. We tend to overlook the smaller critters at our natural areas – so it is great when I can photograph and identify bugs and spiders not yet in our database. Keep up the wonderful work – What’s That Bug is a fantastic resource!
Ann Mathews
Palm Beach County
Department of Environmental Resources Management