Flower spider

Fact Box Species: Thomisus spectabilis (RM) Family: Thomisidae Body length: female: 11 mm male: 3 mm Habitat: In white flowers and lush green vegetation Toxicity: Probably harmless to humans

Male and female Another specimen Front view Colour variation

This spider likes to wait in the centre of white or yellow flowers for nectar-feeding insects. Presumably it is for this reason that its colour can vary from white to yellow.

Thomisus spectabilis demonstrates very well the phenomenon of sexual dimorphism, the male being much smaller and a different colour and shape when compared with the female.

Known range: Widely found in coastal and near-coastal garden settings from Darwin across to Cairns and down to Sydney; perhaps also in Perth but not in Tasmania or most of SA and WA.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: None.