Anyone know the name of this spider?

peter williams · #1 (**permalink**) 16-06-2009, 10:21 AM

Hi, I`ve joined this forum as I have discovered a spider on my roses that I can`t identify. Hopefully someone out there can!

It`s body is abour 4mm across, it has mainly whitish body with two thinnish stripes down each side starting at the head and getting further apart. So far its caught a bumble bee, hover fly and a fly. Any ideas! I live in the new forest, not sure if that will help.

Action_Man · #2 (**permalink**) 16-06-2009, 10:52 AM

Hi and welcome to the WAB forums.

As for the spider, did it look like Misumena vatia ? .
Message - Wildlife Photography

Have a good look, because the colour can be quite variable ...

peter williams · #3 (**permalink**) 17-06-2009, 05:38 AM

Thanks for solving my mistery spider! Do you know why most of the spiders of this type in the pic Gallery do not have the vivid red stripes. Male/female?

Action_Man · #4 (**permalink**) 17-06-2009, 12:56 PM

These spiders dont range as far north as where i am, so i have never seen one, but reading through my book its says :-

Quote:

Females maybe white, yellow or greenish and the red stripes maybe reduced to spots or absent. The much smaller male is less variable.

peter williams · #5 (**permalink**) 18-06-2009, 03:30 PM

So mine`s a female. Thanks again. Maybe with global warming you may get the chance to see one in the future?

I have just learnt another characteristic of the spider (which maybe you know already). They inject a chemical into their prey and it dissolves the insides so they can `suck` it up. I`ve met a few females who use this tactic!!!