It's time for today's edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

May 4, 2021

It's time for today's edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

Yesterday, we looked at the pink lady's slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule), and I mentioned that today's nature post subject was hiding in the photos of the orchid. Here it is: a crab spider!

I'm pretty sure this particular crab spider is the northern crab spider Mecaphesa asperata, a fairly common species that can be found in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, although any spider experts wishing to correct me are welcome to do so below!

Crab spiders get their name because they have the unique ability to walk sideways as well as forward and backward. They are also commonly called "flower spiders" because just like this one, they are often spotted hiding on flowers.

Why flowers? Crab spiders have found a pretty effective niche. Rather than expend a bunch of energy wandering around and hunting or building a big web, they prefer to hide in or on flowers and wait for prey to come to them. When a pollinator insect lands on the flower to grab a sip of nectar, the crab spider strikes! Consider it nature's answer to DoorDash.

ABOUT #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. In this series of posts, Administrator of Science Ben Williams ventures outdoors to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world. New updates are posted Monday - Friday, with previous posts highlighted on the weekends. This series of posts is made possible thanks to the support of VMNH Corporate Partner Carter Bank & Trust (www.cbtcares.com).

NATURE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
If you discover something in nature that you would like help identifying, be sure to message us right here on Facebook with a picture (please include location and date of picture) and we'll have our experts help you identify it!