The flower yellow spider belongs to the family of crab spiders or sidewalk spiders.
The family was given this name for the ability of its representatives to walk sideways. There are about 2,000 species of crab spiders, including the yellow flower spider.
This spider does not weave a web; its main weapons are its long front legs and camouflage. Most he spends time on flowers and watches for prey there.
For a person these beautiful spiders do not pose any danger.
Appearance of a flower yellow spider
There are differences in color and size between females and males. On average, the body length of males reaches about 4 millimeters, and their partners grow up to 10 millimeters.
The abdomen of males is white to yellow with long dark stripes, and the cephalothorax is black. Males have brown or black stripes on their front legs, and hind limbs the same color as the abdomen.
Yellow is just one color option for the flower spider. Females have a bright green to bright yellow body and often have red stripes on the sides of the abdomen.
Distribution of flower yellow spiders
These spiders live from subtropical to arctic zones, they can be found in Alaska, the USA, Japan, and Portugal. Flower yellow spiders are distributed throughout almost all of Europe, except Iceland.
These spiders prefer open areas where it grows a large number of flowering plants. Sexually mature individuals are found in May-June.
Feeding of flower yellow spiders
Spiders wait for prey on flowers. Depending on the color of the flower, the spider can change its color. This ability is available only in adults. Spiders control pigmentation using their visual organs.
The flower spider is a real predator. Yellow flower spiders prey on a variety of pollinators, such as bees, wasps, and various small beetles. Often the victims are much larger than the hunter himself.
The spider waits for the moment when the victim lowers its head into the interweaving of stamens, and attacks it, spreading its front legs wide. Having grabbed the prey, the spider bites it in the neck area. This bite is poisonous, so caught prey dies instantly.
Thanks to its camouflage colors, the yellow flower spider remains invisible, being almost close to the victim. As already noted, yellow, it's just special case, color may vary depending on the color of the plants.
The crab spider or sidewalk spider is common name applied to many species of spiders, but most are members of the family Thomisidae. Most often, they include the familiar “flower crab spiders,” although not all members of this extensive family are limited to ambush hunting on flowers.
home distinguishing feature side-walking spider - limbs. The first two pairs of legs are much larger than the last two pairs, making them look like crabs. Most of them are smooth, their bodies are devoid of hairline, with the exception of a few species. Crab-like limbs allow the spider to move forward, backward or sideways. They all have eight eyes, in two rows of four each, at the front edge of the head. Their eyes are usually surrounded by a ring of white pigment. The middle eyes are independent of each other and rotate freely in different directions. There are wandering hunters among them, but most are known as ambush predators.
These species are not active hunters, but simply sit and wait for prey, making the most of their camouflage. Some species sit on or near flowers and fruits, where insects are most likely to appear. Typically, the color of sidewalk spiders is adapted to the area where they are hunting. There are green, yellow, white, brown and gray. They remain motionless until the prey gets close enough close quarters. If they themselves hide in flowers, then the abdomen simply looks like a bud.
Some species, such as Misumena vatia, are able to change color within a few days, according to the flower on which they sit. There are some that often take positions among the leaves or bark, where they wait for prey; it is almost impossible to see them there, they just look like a growth on a tree. There are ambush spiders that quietly wait in the open air; their colors allow them to amazingly accurately depict bird droppings. Spiders from the family aphantochilidae were also recently included in this species because they mimic the ants they hunt.
There are crab spiders that hunt in the cracks of tree trunks or under the bark, where they find a home where they spend the whole day, and only come out at night to hunt for prey. Members of the genus Xysticus hunt on the forest floor on the ground. In any case, all of these ambush spiders use their powerful front legs to capture and hold prey until their paralyzing venomous bites take effect.
It is unknown how dangerous they are to humans; so far there are not very many people who want to keep them as pets. However, this genus is closely related to the six-eyed spider and the recluse spider, and they are also poisonous, but few cases of human bites have been recorded from them. Spiders just won't attack a person unless they disturb him. None of the crab spiders bother to weave webs or build traps for food, although all of them produce silk thread when they fall and for reproductive purposes. Females prepare an egg sac by rolling it out of leaves, then lay a clutch in it and guard it, and later the growing spiderlings.
Wasp Spider, or Argiope Bruennichi (lat. Argiope bruennichi) is an arthropod that belongs to the class Arachnidae, order Spiders, suborder Opisthothelae, infraorder Araneomorpha spiders, superfamily Araneoidea, family Orb-weaving spiders, subfamily Argiopinae, genus Argiope.
International scientific name: Argiope bruennichi (Scopoli, 1772).
The species name for the spider was given in honor of Morten Trane Brünnich, a zoologist from Denmark. Due to its warning coloration with black and yellow stripes, this representative of arachnids is often found under the name wasp spider, and in some countries it is called the tiger spider or zebra spider. Some people incorrectly call it the bee spider.
Spider wasp - description, structure, characteristics.
The body of the wasp spider, like that of others, consists of a cephalothorax and abdomen, which are connected by a thin stalk. The cephalothorax, which contains the brain, poisonous glands and stomach, is covered with a hard shell. The spider has no antennae. The 8 eyes of the wasp spider are located in the front of the cephalothorax.
Argiope Brünnich is a spider with pronounced sexual dimorphism: females and males of the species differ significantly in shape, size and body color. The body size of adult females is about 1.1-2.5 cm in length (with straightened legs up to 4 cm), while males barely grow to 5.5 mm (according to some sources up to 7 mm). The abdomen of a female wasp spider has a rounded-oblong shape; in males, the abdomen is elongated and narrow. The cephalothorax of females is wide and flat, light brown, with a darkened head region. The cephalothorax is covered with small, dense, white-silver hairs and therefore appears silver.
Female wasp spiders are very brightly colored and therefore clearly visible: the dorsal pattern of their abdomen is an intense yellow background with rows of transverse stripes of black, very similar to the color of the abdomen or. On the fourth stripe from the cephalothorax, two small tubercles are clearly visible.
The male wasp spider is inconspicuous, does not look like a wasp at all and is painted in a light beige color, on which 2 longitudinal dark stripes are barely visible.
The wasp spider has 6 pairs of limbs: 4 pairs of walking legs, 1 pair of chelicerae (jaws) with movable claws, with which the striped spider grabs prey, and 1 pair of pedipalps, which perform the function of touch. In individuals of both sexes, the legs are long and thin, brownish in color. The limbs of females are decorated with alternating bright dark and light rings, very similar to stockings. In males, the rings on the limbs are faded and blurred. On the pedipalps of male wasp spiders, large bulbs are clearly visible - their reproductive organs.
The respiratory organs of the wasp spider are represented by a pair of lungs and trachea, opening with one spiracle in front of the arachnoid warts.
Where does the wasp spider (Argiope Brünnich) live?
Spider wasp - enough numerous species. It is widespread in countries North Africa, Small and Central Asia, in India, China, Korea, Japan and the USA. It is also a common arachnid in the Central and Southern Europe, in Kazakhstan, Crimea and the Caucasus. In Russia, the spider wasp was noticed in several regions: Chelyabinsk, Saratov, Ulyanovsk, Tambov, Oryol, Lipetsk, Penza and Bryansk. Probably due to the increase average annual temperature air Argiope Brünnich also began to be noticed in Tula, Ryazan regions and in the Moscow region. According to the latest data, the black and yellow wasp spider began to appear in Kaluga region, as well as in the Novgorod region on the territory belonging to the Rdeisky Nature Reserve.
The wasp spider's favorite habitats are located in areas exposed to the sun: fields, lawns, along roadsides, forest clearings and forest edges. The black-and-yellow striped wasp spider places its hunting nets on various low vegetation, giving particular preference to xerophilous plants growing in particularly dry areas of the area.
A unique feature of all orb weavers, including the wasp spider, is their ability to move considerable distances thanks to their web threads, picked up by ascending air currents. This manner of settlement has led to the fact that some southern populations often end up on northern territories.
Argiope Brünnich's web.
Like all orb weavers, the wasp spider is fluent in the art of weaving webs, and its spiral trapping nets are large wheel-shaped nets with two pronounced stabilimentum in the middle.
The stabilimentum is a thickened zigzag pattern on the web that may have different shapes: linear, circular, cruciform.
A notable feature of the wasp spider’s web is that there are two such patterns at once, which diverge from the middle and are located opposite each other. Scientists have found that the main reason for this artistic weaving is the ability of the multilayer insert to reflect ultraviolet rays, thereby attracting insects.
The wasp spider weaves a complex web of multilayer threads thanks to the structure of the limbs characteristic of orb-weavers. The last pair of legs, equipped with three simple claws and serrated setae, has a special spike-shaped appendage that allows it to weave intricate webs from individual threads.
The female, sitting in the center of the web (usually upside down), resembles the letter “X” because her widely spaced legs of the first and second, as well as the third and fourth pairs are placed very close to each other.
The wasp spider, like most representatives of the order, weaves its web at dusk, and the whole process lasts no more than an hour. Typically, the web stretches between plants no higher than 30 cm from the surface of the ground. In case of danger, a disturbed wasp spider throws its catching nets and tries to hide on the ground.
What does a wasp spider eat?
The strong trapping nets of the wasp spider most often catch representatives of the order Orthoptera: crickets, etc. Argiope Brünnich also preys on fillies. The feeding method of the Argiope spider is typical for most arachnids: as soon as the prey insect is in the nets, the spider quickly approaches and bites the victim, injecting poison into it. Then he entangles the future “dinner” with the threads of his web and waits until, under the influence of digestive enzymes, the caught prey becomes suitable for consumption. After this, it simply sucks up the liquid food, leaving only the chitinous shell of the insect.
You can meet the side-walking spider in any part of Europe. They move exclusively sideways, which is why they got their name. It won’t be easy to see them - thanks to their colors, they are like chameleons able to blend into environment. They prefer to live among flowering grasses, which allows them to catch butterflies, flies and bees that make up the diet of these spiders. Depending on the weather, they can change their place of residence. During the rainy season, they prefer to seek shelter under the wide leaves of plants.
Body structure and coloring
Females are twice the size of males and can reach a length of 1-1.2 cm. Modified forelimbs allow spiders to move quickly and instantly pull food into their “embraces.” The color of these amazing creatures It comes in almost all shades - white, pink, lemon, brown, green, red. The most prominent representatives This species lives inside flower buds. Darker ones, with spots and patterns, live on the bark of trees and the ground. The white sidewalk spider is able to merge with the petals, as it has not only a milky body, but also eyes of the same shade.
Peculiarities
Sidewalk spiders do not spin webs to catch flying insects. Female spiders make sacs from this sticky substance into which they lay their eggs. Also, with the help of a web, they descend from more tall plants to low. But the most amazing thing is that with the onset of autumn they use it as vehicle. Having ridden the bags, they are able to go on a long journey with the first gust of wind. In warm and dry weather, they cover a distance of several kilometers. Sometimes you can see a whole family of spiders on one web. To stop at a place they like, they simply shoot a web onto the nearest tree or plant.
Hunter Tactics
Despite their size, spiders are not afraid to attack more than large insects. Like real hunters they can for a long time sit in ambush, waiting for prey with open paws. As soon as a butterfly or wasp lands on a flower, they instantly grab it and bite it. vulnerabilities. Injecting poison flower spider starts the meal. However, if a hunter has not eaten for a long time, then his behavior changes radically. He runs restlessly through the leaves, looking for prey and moving his paws in anticipation of lunch. At the sight of an approaching insect, the spider freezes with its legs wide open. From the outside it seems that he opened friendly arms. Thanks to their coloring, they manage to remain unnoticed, and the tactic brings the desired result.
Reproduction
At the beginning of June, side-walking spiders begin to mating season. Males, like real gentlemen, court the female. If she considers the candidate worthy, then mating occurs. After a short break, the procedure is repeated, and after a while the female attaches the cocoons wrapped in a web to back side leaves. Although this species does not tend to live surrounded by relatives, there are cases when a whole family of spiders lives on one plant.
Is it dangerous for humans?
The venom of this predator is very toxic and can instantly paralyze the victim. But fortunately for man, his concentration is not strong enough. Contrary to popular belief, representatives of this species, which are brightly colored, do not themselves attack people. They sense danger very well and will not take risks, knowing that they will lose this battle. Don't be afraid if a spider bites a pet - your pet most likely won't even notice. But smaller representatives of the fauna may feel a slight malaise and disorientation. Mice, rats, hamsters and other rodents should not be kept near sidewalk spiders.
This animal can make an excellent pet. They are unpretentious in food and do not require much space. The terrarium must be at least 40 cm long and 30 cm wide. Particular attention should be paid to humidity - the sidewalk spider will die if it ends up in a dry, closed container. The temperature should be within 20 degrees. For food, you need to select insects that are no larger than the size of a spider. Flies, cockroaches, and crickets are ideal. With proper care, spiders live 2-3 years.
- Some species have the ability to slowly change their color.
- Before mating, the male brings his lady a gift in the form of an edible insect.
- Some people specifically bring home cockroaches to get rid of cockroaches.
- Spiders are able to distinguish the sounds of music and even “dance.”
- They distinguish relatives at a distance of up to 5 meters.
- Because of their style of moving sideways, they are called crab spiders.
- Some species hunt exclusively at night, waiting for moths inside a flower.
- They do not attack insects that are much smaller in size than the spider’s body.
- Farmers move sidewalkers to their fields to get rid of pests.
- Because of small size fangs are not capable of cutting through human skin.
Spiders are quite common in our house. But we never think that this is just one species of a huge order, numbering about 42,000 species.
Each of us knows that spiders weave webs. But it turns out that not all varieties have the art of spinning.
Such individuals belong to the side-walking spiders. They reach a size of only 1 cm.
Description of the spider
Body structure
The body of side-walking spiders has two parts connected by a small tube:
The cephalothorax (prosoma) has the following features:
- divided into head and chest sections;
- on the head there are two pairs of limbs. Chelicerae are equipped with poisonous glands and a claw for their secretion. The pedipalps are formed from six segments; in males they are equipped with a mating apparatus;
- on the frontal part there are 8 eyes, 2 of which are main, the rest are additional;
- 4 pairs of limbs are attached to the cephalothorax behind the pedipalps. Side-walking spiders are able to move sideways due to the upward-turned front surfaces of the first two pairs of legs. With its movements it resembles a crab;
- The spider's leg consists of several sections: coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia calyx, pretarsus, tarsi with claw.
Abdomen (opisthosoma):
- oval shape;
- contains basic internal organs spider;
- The genital opening is located below.
Nutrition
Side-walking spiders are predators they are not afraid to attack even insects larger than themselves. Spiders wait for their prey for a long time, camouflaging themselves with the terrain (flowers, soil, bark). Side-walking spiders are very mobile and when the long-awaited profit appears, they quickly grab it with their feet and inject their paralyzing venom into the body of the victim. Then, after some time, all the nutrients are sucked out of it, leaving only one shell.
Reproduction
Mating of sidewalk spiders occurs at the beginning of summer and consists of the following stages: 
- Searching for a female by a male, attracting attention to himself. If the female has accepted the gentleman's advances, he climbs onto her back.
- The male moves to the female's genital opening and alternately inserts pedipalps containing seminal fluid into it.
- After a short break, the act of mating is repeated.
- The female attaches cocoons to the stems or leaves of plants, hiding them from predators.
Varieties
Sidewalk spiders are terrestrial animals. Found everywhere on globe. In warm climates species diversity represented much more widely than in temperate and cold.
Spiders adapt to climatic conditions different ways. One of them is coloring. All varieties of bocod spiders have their own shade. This family has 170 genera, in which about 2000 species are distinguished. The most studied types are:
Flower spider (Misutnena vatia)
- color white, yellowish;
- body size up to 11 mm;
- lives on flowers of the ranunculaceae and cornflower family;
- food: butterflies, bumblebees, bees;
- Habitat: Europe, North America.
Yellow crab spider (Xisticus luctuosus)
- the body of the male is dark brown, 4-5 mm long, the female is yellow – 7-8 mm;
- lives in meadows and forest clearings;
- distributed in the European part of Russia and the former USSR.
Ornamented blueberry (Synaema ornatum)
contrasting color: the bottom of the abdomen is black, the top is red or yellow with a black angular spot;
- body length of a male is 5-6 mm, female – 7-8 mm;
- lives on flowers of the Rosaceae family;
- feeds on insects;
- lives in the steppe and forest-steppe of our country.
Benefits for humans
Small spiders can be of great benefit to humans. Spiders are very voracious.
In one day, sidewalk spiders are capable of eating food weighing more than their body weight.The bulk of the food is flies, which are a breeding ground for many harmful bacteria.
The venom of side-walking spiders is planned to be used as pesticides in the future.
Frequent prey of the side-walking spider are agricultural pests: meadow moths, dipterous apple honeysuckers, aphids, bedbugs, and weevils.
In medicine, research is being conducted on spider venom for the treatment of arrhythmia, Alzheimer's disease, erectile dysfunction, and stroke.
What to do if you are bitten
Sidewalk spiders are not dangerous to humans, but their bite is still unpleasant due to the following symptoms: 
- redness, swelling, itching and burning of the bite site;
- headache;
- dizziness;
- weakness.
If you are bitten by a sidewalk spider, it is enough to apply ice to the wound and take antihistamines. The bite site can be treated with “Star” balm or Fenistil-gel.
We often mistake spiders for common insects, But it's not right. They have poisonous glands containing toxins at their disposal. All types of sidewalk spiders must be handled carefully to avoid the unpleasant sensations that bites from these little ones cause.
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