''Thomisus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

crab spider The Thomisidae are a family of spiders, including about 170 genera and over 2,100 species. The common name crab spider is often linked to species in this family, but is also applied loosely to many other families of spiders. Many members of thi ...

s (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are

ambush predator Ambush predators or sit-and-wait predators are carnivorous animals that capture their prey via stealth, luring or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an element of surprise. Unlike pursuit predators, who chase to capture prey u ...

s that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several other genera in the family Thomisidae, they are sometimes referred to as flower crab spiders, from their crab-like motion and their way of holding their front legs, reminiscent of a

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura (meaning "short tailed" in Greek language, Greek), which typically have a very short projecting tail-like abdomen#Arthropoda, abdomen, usually hidden entirely under the Thorax (arthropo ...

spreading its claws as a threat.

Description and behavior

As with most ''

Thomisidae The Thomisidae are a family of spiders, including about 170 genera and over 2,100 species. The common name crab spider is often linked to species in this family, but is also applied loosely to many other families of spiders. Many members of thi ...

'' species, ''Thomisus'' exhibit sexual size dimorphism: females are in length, whereas males are only . Many species are brightly colored, usually matching the color of the flower in which they are waiting in ambush. Not all species are flower-dwelling, but among those that are, at least some species can change their colour over a period of some days to match the flower colour. Studies suggest that bees are inclined to avoid a flower that contains a spider-sized object of a non-matching colour; whether this is specifically a mechanism for avoiding crab spiders, or simply that they are not attracted to flowers whose

nectar guide Nectar guides are markings or patterns seen in flowers of some angiosperm species, that guide pollinators to their Pollination syndrome, rewards. These markings may appear as lines, spots, or "blotches". Such patterns are also known as "pollen gu ...

s are obscured however, is a more difficult question. The colour changes that such species can achieve are typically in ranges of white, pink, and yellow. For example, in ''

Thomisus spectabilis ''Thomisus spectabilis'', also known as the white crab spider or Australian crab spider, is a small spider found in Australia and far east Asia. The body length of the female is up to 10 mm, the male 6.2 mm. Including legs, the spide ...

'', the method of camouflage is similar to the ''

Misumena vatia ''Misumena vatia'' is a species of crab spider found in Europe and North America. In North America, it is called the goldenrod crab spider or flower (crab) spider,Acorn, John and Sheldon, Ian. (2003). ''Bugs of Ontario'' Edmonton: Lone Pine Publ ...

'', though ''T. spectabilis'' are visible to their prey, but not their predators. This species of crab spiders is UV reflective while the flower is UV absorbing creating a contrast between the spider and flower through the eyes of the pollinator.Gawryszewski, F. M., A. L. Llandres, and M. E. Herberstein. "Relationship between colouration and body condition in a crab spider that lures pollinators." Journal of Experimental Biology 215, no. 7 (2012): 1128-1136. The contrast created greatly attracts pollinators such as honeybees. This evolutionary method of camouflage increased the likelihood the crab spiders encountered prey, which in turn effects the fitness of the crab spiders. Due to the increased encounter rate of prey the spiders are able to focus energy on reproduction therefore leading to increased fitness in the spiders. The evolutionary method of camouflage greatly increases the survivability and fitness of crab spiders.

Distribution

The distribution of ''Thomisus'' species is almost worldwide, with the notable exception of most of South America. Although ''Thomisus'' species can be found almost anywhere on earth, most species occur in the tropics and the warmer regions of the

Old World The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...

, with fewer species in the region from New Guinea to Australia and the

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

. Only ''

Thomisus guadahyrensis ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' is known from South America (in Peru).

Species

, the

World Spider Catalog The World Spider Catalog (WSC) is an online searchable database concerned with spider taxonomy. It aims to list all accepted families, genera and species, as well as provide access to the related taxonomic literature. The WSC began as a series of ...

accepted 142 species: *''

Thomisus albens ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1885 – Pakistan, Yarkand *''

Thomisus albertianus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Strand, 1913 – Gabon, Congo, Uganda, Angola **''

Thomisus albertianus guineensis ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Millot, 1942 – Guinea, Angola **''

Thomisus albertianus maculatus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Comellini, 1959 – Cameroon, Congo **''

Thomisus albertianus verrucosus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Comellini, 1957 – Congo *''

Thomisus albohirtus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Simon, 1884 – North, East Africa, Yemen *''

Thomisus amadelphus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Simon, 1909 – Vietnam *''

Thomisus andamanensis ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Tikader, 1980 – India, Andaman Is. *''

Thomisus angulatulus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Roewer, 1951 – Gabon *''

Thomisus angustifrons ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Lucas, 1858 – Gabon *''

Thomisus arabicus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Simon, 1882 – Yemen *'' Thomisus armillatus'' (Thorell, 1891) – Nicobar Is. *'' Thomisus ashishi'' Gajbe, 2005 – India *'' Thomisus australis'' Comellini, 1957 – Central, Southern Africa *'' Thomisus baghdeoi'' Gajbe, 2004 – India *'' Thomisus bargi'' Gajbe, 2004 – India *'' Thomisus beautifularis'' Basu, 1965 – India *'' Thomisus benoiti'' Comellini, 1959 – Congo *'' Thomisus bicolor'' Walckenaer, 1837 – USA *'' Thomisus bidentatus'' Kulczyński, 1901 – West Africa to Saudi Arabia, Yemen *'' Thomisus bigibbosus'' Keyserling, 1881 – USA *'' Thomisus blandus'' Karsch, 1880 – Africa, Yemen *'' Thomisus boesenbergi'' Lenz, 1891 – Madagascar *'' Thomisus bonnieri'' Simon, 1902 – Oman *'' Thomisus bueanus'' Strand, 1916 – Cameroon *'' Thomisus bulani'' Tikader, 1960 – India *'' Thomisus callidus'' (Thorell, 1890) – Sri Lanka, Singapore, Sumatra, Nias Is., Java *'' Thomisus cancroides'' Eydoux & Souleyet, 1841 – Unknown *'' Thomisus candidus'' Blackwall, 1866 – Tropical Africa *'' Thomisus castaneiceps'' Simon, 1909 – Vietnam *'' Thomisus cavaleriei'' Schenkel, 1963 – China *'' Thomisus citrinellus'' Simon, 1875 – Mediterranean, Africa, Seychelles, Yemen, Socotra, Iraq *'' Thomisus congoensis'' Comellini, 1957 – Central, Southern Africa *'' Thomisus dalmasi'' Lessert, 1919 – Africa *'' Thomisus danieli'' Gajbe, 2004 – India *'' Thomisus daradioides'' Simon, 1890 – South Africa to India **''

Thomisus daradioides nigroannulatus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Caporiacco, 1947 – East Africa *'' Thomisus dartevellei'' Comellini, 1957 – Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi *'' Thomisus dentiger'' (Thorell, 1887) – Myanmar *''

Thomisus destefanii ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Caporiacco, 1941 – Ethiopia *'' Thomisus dhakuriensis'' Tikader, 1960 – India *'' Thomisus dhananjayi'' Gajbe, 2005 – India *'' Thomisus duriusculus'' (Thorell, 1877) – Sulawesi *'' Thomisus dyali'' Kumari & Mittal, 1997 – India *'' Thomisus elongatus'' Stoliczka, 1869 – India *'' Thomisus eminulus'' Tang & Li, 2010 – China *'' Thomisus galeatus'' Simon, 1909 – Vietnam *'' Thomisus ghesquierei'' Lessert, 1943 – Congo *'' Thomisus godavariae'' Reddy & Patel, 1992 – India *'' Thomisus gouluensis'' Peng, Yin & Kim, 2000 – China *'' Thomisus granulatus'' Karsch, 1880 – Southern Africa *'' Thomisus granulifrons'' Simon, 1906 – India, Sri Lanka *''

'' Keyserling, 1880 – Peru *''

Thomisus guangxicus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Song & Zhu, 1995 – China *'' Thomisus hararinus'' Caporiacco, 1947 – Ethiopia *'' Thomisus hui'' Song & Zhu, 1995 – China *'' Thomisus hunanensis'' Peng, Yin & Kim, 2000 – China *'' Thomisus ilocanus'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *''

Thomisus iswadus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *'' Thomisus italongus'' Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Philippines *'' Thomisus janinae'' Comellini, 1957 – Congo, Tanzania *'' Thomisus jocquei'' Dippenaar-Schoeman, 1988 – Malawi *'' Thomisus kalaharinus'' Lawrence, 1936 – Africa, Yemen *''

Thomisus katrajghatus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Tikader, 1963 – India *'' Thomisus keralae'' Biswas & Roy, 2005 – India *'' Thomisus kitamurai'' Nakatsudi, 1943 – Ryukyu Is. *'' Thomisus kiwuensis'' Strand, 1913 – Central Africa *'' Thomisus kokiwadai'' Gajbe, 2004 – India *'' Thomisus krishnae'' Reddy & Patel, 1992 – India *'' Thomisus labefactus'' Karsch, 1881 – China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan *'' Thomisus laglaizei'' Simon, 1877 – Myanmar, Philippines, Java, Sumatra *'' Thomisus lamperti'' Strand, 1907 – Madagascar *'' Thomisus leucaspis'' Simon, 1906 – India, New Caledonia *'' Thomisus litoris'' Strand, 1913 – Central Africa *'' Thomisus lobosus'' Tikader, 1965 – India *'' Thomisus ludhianaensis'' Kumari & Mittal, 1997 – India *'' Thomisus machadoi'' Comellini, 1959 – Angola, Cape Verde Is., South Africa *'' Thomisus madagascariensis'' Comellini, 1957 – Madagascar **''

Thomisus madagascariensis pallidus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting flowers. Like several ...

'' Comellini, 1957 – Madagascar *'' Thomisus magaspangus'' Barrion, Barrion-Dupo & Heong, 2013 – China *'' Thomisus manishae'' Gajbe, 2005 – India *'' Thomisus manjuae'' Gajbe, 2005 – India *'' Thomisus marginifrons'' Schenkel, 1963 – China *'' Thomisus meenae'' Gajbe, 2005 – India *'' Thomisus melanostethus'' Simon, 1909 – Vietnam *'' Thomisus mimae'' Sen & Basu, 1963 – India *'' Thomisus modestus'' Blackwall, 1870 – Italy *'' Thomisus natalensis'' Lawrence, 1942 – Southern Africa *'' Thomisus nepenthiphilus'' Fage, 1930 – Sumatra *'' Thomisus nirmali'' Saha & Raychaudhuri, 2007 – India *'' Thomisus obscuratus'' Caporiacco, 1947 – East Africa *'' Thomisus obtusesetulosus'' Roewer, 1961 – Senegal *'' Thomisus ochraceus'' Walckenaer, 1841 – Algeria *'' Thomisus odiosus'' O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1898 – Mexico *'' Thomisus okinawensis'' Strand, 1907 – Thailand to Ryukyu Is., Philippines, Indonesia *''

Thomisus onustus ''Thomisus onustus'' is a crab spider belonging to the genus ''Thomisus''. These spiders are found across Europe, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East and Asia. ''T. onustus'' reside in flowers in lowland vegetation. Females are distinguish ...

'' Walckenaer, 1805 (

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

) – Palearctic *'' Thomisus oscitans'' Walckenaer, 1837 – USA *'' Thomisus pateli'' Gajbe, 2004 – India *'' Thomisus pathaki'' Gajbe, 2004 – India *'' Thomisus penicillatus'' Simon, 1909 – Vietnam *''

Thomisus perspicillatus ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species species description, described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting fl ...

'' (Thorell, 1890) – Borneo, Sulawesi *'' Thomisus pooneus'' Tikader, 1965 – India *'' Thomisus pritiae'' Gajbe, 2005 – India *'' Thomisus projectus'' Tikader, 1960 – India *'' Thomisus pugilis'' Stoliczka, 1869 – India *'' Thomisus rajani'' Bhandari & Gajbe, 2001 – India *'' Thomisus retirugus'' Simon, 1909 – Vietnam *'' Thomisus rigoratus'' Simon, 1906 – India *'' Thomisus rishus'' Tikader, 1970 – India *''

Thomisus roeweri ''Thomisus'' is a genus of crab spiders (family Thomisidae) with around 142 species species description, described. The genus includes species that vary widely in their ecology, with some that are ambush predators that feed on insects visiting fl ...

'' Comellini, 1957 – Tanzania *'' Thomisus schoutedeni'' Comellini, 1957 – Congo *'' Thomisus schultzei'' Simon, 1910 – Southern Africa *'' Thomisus scrupeus'' (Simon, 1886) – Africa *'' Thomisus shillongensis'' Sen, 1963 – India *'' Thomisus shivajiensis'' Tikader, 1965 – India *'' Thomisus sikkimensis'' Tikader, 1962 – India *'' Thomisus simoni'' Gajbe, 2004 – India *'' Thomisus socotrensis'' Dippenaar-Schoeman & van Harten, 2007 – Socotra *'' Thomisus sorajaii'' Basu, 1963 – India *''

'' Doleschall, 1859 – India to Australia *'' Thomisus spiculosus'' Pocock, 1901 – West, Central, Southern Africa *'' Thomisus stenningi'' Pocock, 1900 – Africa, Seychelles, Yemen *'' Thomisus stigmatisatus'' Walckenaer, 1837 – USA *'' Thomisus stoliczkai'' (Thorell, 1887) – Myanmar *'' Thomisus sundari'' Gajbe & Gajbe, 2001 – India *'' Thomisus swatowensis'' Strand, 1907 – China *'' Thomisus telanganaensis'' Pravalikha & Srinivasulu, 2015 – India *'' Thomisus tetricus'' Simon, 1890 – Yemen *'' Thomisus transversus'' Fox, 1937 – China *'' Thomisus tripunctatus'' Lucas, 1858 – West Africa *'' Thomisus tuberculatus'' Dyal, 1935 – Pakistan *'' Thomisus unidentatus'' Dippenaar-Schoeman & van Harten, 2007 – Yemen, Iraq, Iran *'' Thomisus venulatus'' Walckenaer, 1841 – Algeria *'' Thomisus viveki'' Gajbe, 2004 – India *'' Thomisus vulnerabilis'' Mello-Leitão, 1929 – Myanmar *'' Thomisus wangi'' Tang, Yin & Peng, 2012 – China *'' Thomisus whitakeri'' Gajbe, 2004 – India *'' Thomisus yemensis'' Dippenaar-Schoeman & van Harten, 2007 – Yemen *'' Thomisus zaheeri'' Parveen, Khan, Mushtaq, Ahmad & Rana, 2008 – Pakistan *'' Thomisus zhui'' Tang & Song, 1988 – China *'' Thomisus zuluanus'' Lawrence, 1942 – South Africa *'' Thomisus zyuzini'' Marusik & Logunov, 1990 – Turkey, Saudi Arabia to Central Asia

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1070241 Thomisidae Thomisidae genera Cosmopolitan spiders