Square faced spider

Bruce Williams · #1 (**permalink**) 02-05-2009, 08:07 PM

Stony Stratford, Bucks. Side of old wooden fence.

Size: 3mm.

I think I was very lucky to get this shot. Something about the spider's body language suggested that it was a bit twitchy so I decided to take a first shot at about 1:2 before going in for the close-up. The instant the flash fired the spider just dropped off the fence and vanished. So as it turned out this was my one and only shot.

Bruce

wildherbalian85 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-05-2009, 08:55 PM

looks like one of those crab spiders

No.9 Spider · #3 (**permalink**) 02-05-2009, 09:21 PM

It's a Xysticus species. Probably X. cristatus but there are a couple of other possibilities.

No.9 Spider

Bruce Williams · #4 (**permalink**) 03-05-2009, 04:37 PM

Thanks wildherbalian85 - I think you're right.

Thanks No.9 Spider - Your suggested id reminded me of a spider I posted last year (June) that Meta menardi and Venger tentatively identified as Xysticus cristatus. Venger expressed the same reservations as you, see: crab spider?

Here's the pic from that posting:

Bruce