For any pollinator that stops by for a late summer or early fall
nosh of pollen or nectar.
Crab spiders are busy hunting all season, but they are especially noticeable on the nectar and pollen rich fall flowers.
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| look closely to see the critters |
Clever little critter~that's exactly where all the
pollinator action is from now until frost.
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| they resemble crabs with their oversized pairs of legs |
Flowers spiders, as crab spiders are also known, have short, wide, flat bodies with two pairs of over sized crab like front legs for grabbing and holding their prey, and small venomous fangs for injecting a paralyzing poison. They are the stuff of nightmares for flies and bees, but, that fast acting venom means they can catch grasshoppers and butterflies...
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| the coloring matches the Rudbeckia cone |
They are generally passive ambush hunters, waiting patiently for an unsuspecting bee or fly to land near their hiding spot. They are quick and like crabs can move backwards, forwards and sideways with ease.
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| Crab spider hiding among Asclepias incarnata leaves |
Masters of camouflage, they can change colors to match the flower they are hiding on.
No pollinator could distinguish this carefully constructed hiding place on
Rudbeckia triloba from petals fluttering in the wind.
So, my darling bees and my precious butterflies you must be careful out there!
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| Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopsis cecrops) |
There is no way to tell if there is a treat or a trap on any flower you land upon. There is danger lurking everywhere and even though I know it's all part of the circle of life, I wish you safe and happy nectaring.
xoxogail
Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at
Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.
