A dark brown crab spider, about 1/2 inch (12 mm) long. There are about 67 species in the genus Xysticus and many of them look very similar. However, the combination of the markings on the cephalothorax and the abdomen help to identify this spider to species.
This spider is probably common in this area but is rarely seen because of its coloration and hunting habits. The spiders of the genus Xysticus do not build webs but like most crab spiders and jumping spiders they are ambush hunters and prefer to hunt near the ground (hence the common name “ground crab spiders”). They move slowly, and commonly hunt by stationing themselves in a high-traffic area and grabbing whatever arthropod passes close enough. They seize prey with their enlarged front legs and kill it by a venomous bite.
Spiders in the genus Xysticus show a strong sexual dimorphism in size, the males being less than half the size of females.
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