goldenrod crab spider

(Misumena vatia)

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Sightings

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy

goldenrod crab spider - Featured photo — Photo by Mark Gullickson

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Description

Goldenrod crab spider is the most abundant of the flower spiders. On goldenrods or yellow daisies its coloring may change to yellow.

Size

Female Body Length: 5 ⁄16″ to ⅜″

Male Body Length: ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″

Legspan: 5 ⁄16″ to ¾″

Web

No web

Similar Species

Habitat

Meadows, fields, and gardens with white or yellow flowers.

Ecology

Foraging

Ambush hunter (Sit-and-Wait)

Prey

Flower-visiting insects, such as flies, butterflies, grasshoppers, and especially bees.

Behavior

Life Cycle

Season

Summer

Distribution

Sources

7, 24, 30, 82, 83.

Misumena vatia (Clerck, 1757) in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org. Accessed 4/28/2026.

Occurrence

Common and widespread

Taxonomy

Class

Arachnida (Arachnids)

Order

Araneae (Spiders)

Suborder

Araneomorphae (Typical Spiders)

Infraorder

Entelegynae

Superfamily

Thomisoidea

Family

Thomisidae (Crab Spiders)

Subfamily

Thomisinae

Tribe

Misumenini

Genus

Misumena (Flower Crab Spiders)

Subordinate Taxa

Synonyms

Aranea 4-lineata

Aranea albonigricans

Aranea calicina

Aranea calycina

Aranea citrea

Aranea citrina

Aranea cretata

Aranea hasselquistii

Aranea kleinii

Aranea osbekii

Aranea quinquepuncata

Aranea scorpiformis

Aranea sulphereoglobosa

Aranea sulphurea

Aranea uddmanni

Aranea virginea

Araneus vatius

Misumena calycina

Misumena citrea

Misumena oblonga

Misumena occidentalis

Misumenops vatia

Pachyptile devia

Thomisus calycinus

Thomisus citreus

Thomisus cucurbitinus

Thomisus dauci

Thomisus devius

Thomisus fartus

Thomisus phrygiatus

Thomisus pratensis

Thomisus quadrilineatus

Thomisus scorpiformis

Thomisus spinipes

Thomisus vatius

Thomisus viridis

Common Names

flower spider

goldenrod crab spider

goldenrod spider

red-spotted crab spider

Visitor Photos

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Sharon A

DLC

goldenrod crab spider 41 — Found on the underside of a day lily bloom

Daniel Maguire

We have lived in this house for 21 years & this is the first time we have seen this spider.

RTJ

goldenrod crab spider 37 — discovered in Radiant Perfume Grandiflora Yellow Rose

Mike Poeppe

Dan W. Andree

white prairie clover (var. candida) 06 — Crab Spider on White Prairie Clover

goldenrod crab spider 34 — Crab Spider Twin Valley Prairie SNA...

Goldenrod Crab Spider 7-5-22...

It was on these flowers in a grassy area near a pond in Norman Co. Mn. 7-5-22… I photographed and filmed it since it was colorful and really interesting. Some crab spiders can be really pretty even though they are quite the little predators.

Lisa Lokken

goldenrod crab spider 26 — found it in my garden with a fly’s head in it’s fangs!

Molly and Robert Power

Greg Watson

male Goldenrod Crab Spider, Misumena vatia

DotieC57

Jocelyne D.

First time seen in our backyard, interesting critters.

Jen Taylor

goldenrod crab spider 14 — Flowers just purchased from Lowe’s

Leesa Kolstad

Contributor_Name

around on yellow coneflower

While hunting on Prairie Rose

this White Crab Spider turned up it's nose,

so to speak,

and walked away from the Carrion Beetle.

I guess it pays to stink a little.

Tom Baker

Minnesota Seasons Photos

Slideshows

Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia)
Andree Reno Sanborn

Misumena vatia (Goldenrod Crab Spider)
Allen Chartier

Visitor Videos

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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
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Visitor Sightings

Report a sighting of this arachnid.

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Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.

Sharon A
5/24/2026

Location: Surrey, BC

DLC
8/5/2025

Location: Guelph, Ontario

Found on the underside of a day lily bloom

Daniel Maguire
8/5/2025

Location: Buckman, MN

We have lived in this house for 21 years & this is the first time we have seen this spider.

RTJ
8/4/2025

Location: Peace Country, Alberta

discovered in Radiant Perfume Grandiflora Yellow Rose

TM
7/18/2025

Location: MUSQUODOBOIT HARBOUR, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA

FOUND ON MY YELLOW DAISY IN MY GARDEN

Mike Poeppe
7/13/2025

Location: Houston, MN

Dan W. Andree
July 2025

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

Crab Spider on White Prairie Clover

D Jackson
4/30/2025

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Just saw her on my Geranium I bought last week at Home Depot.

Dan W. Andree
7/2/2024

Location: Twin Valley Prairie SNA

Crab Spider Twin Valley Prairie SNA...

Michael Towne
6/14/2024

Location: Bellingham Washington

Della Custer
6/3/2024

Location: Mountain Iron, MN

Spider camouflage

Terry Dwayne
21/5/2024 (UK)

Location: UK, Somerset, Bridgwater

breeding in mass in my garden and apiary as I'm a beekeeper

Anya H.
7/5/2023

Location: Lake County, MN

Found by the side of a lake

Alfredo Colon
6/7/2021

Location: Woodbury, MN

Lisa Lokken
7/14/2022

Location: Duluth, MN

found it in my garden with a fly’s head in it’s fangs!

Dan W. Andree
7/5/2022

Location: Norman Co. Mn.

Molly and Robert Power
6/21/2022

Albany, MN

Alfredo Colon
6/3/2021

Location: Woodbury, MN

Greg Watson
6/12/2022

Location: Wagon Wheel Trail, La Crescent, MN

male Goldenrod Crab Spider, Misumena vatia

DotieC57
7/10/2021

Location: Rushford, NY 14777

Jocelyne D.
6/25/2021

Location: West Enfield, Maine

First time seen in our backyard, interesting critters.

Jen Taylor
6/21/2021

Location: in Wasilla Alaska

Flowers just purchased from Lowe’s

Ken Vargas
9/11/2020

Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Mark Gullickson
8/16/2020

Location: Fertile, MN - Polk County

around on yellow coneflower

Tracey Klocek
7/31/2019

Location: Duluth, MN

second sighting this summer, both in my backyard. Thanks!

Tracey Klocek
6/20/2018

Location: Ranier, MN, Koochoching County

Hi, I just had one of these land on me!

Tiffany Howell
7/15/2017

Location: Chengwatana State Forest

Bill Reynolds
8/30/2015

Location: Pennington County, MN

While hunting on Prairie Rose
this White Crab Spider turned up it's nose,
so to speak,
and walked away from the Carrion Beetle.
I guess it pays to stink a little.

Bill Reynolds
7/7/2005

Location: Location: St. Louis Co.

Bill Reynolds
7/1/2005

Location: Location: St. Louis Co.

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Information