Ground Crab Spider with Egg Sac
A female common ground crab spider of the genus Xysticus (probably X. cristatus) guards her egg sac in the sagebrush desert in Central Washington's Ginkgo Petrified Forest. This drab brown crab spider is in stark contrast to those crab spiders often found camouflaged brightly with vivd colors among flowers, and relies on active hunting over ambush predation. Sadly, this spider will complete her life cycle and die naturally before her spiderlings hatch and disperse to renew the cycle of life, but for now they are well protected and cared for.
- Copyright
- © 2014
- Image Size
- 4199x2799 / 8.4MB
- Keywords
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Animalia, Arachnida, Araneae, Arthropoda, Columbia River, Ginkgo Petrified Forest, Kittitas County, Spring, State Park, Thomisidae, Vantage, Washington, Xysticus, Xysticus cristatus, animal, arachnid, arachnophobia, arthropod, beautiful, beauty, bug, crab spider, critter, egg, egg sac, eggs, eggsac, fauna, female, ground crab spider, hunter, invertebrate, killer, natural, nature, predator, prey, sagebrush desert, sagebrush habitat, spider, stinger, stinging, venomous, wildlife
- Contained in galleries
- Spiders
