14 DAY TRIAL // An arachnid species whose official name is Misumenoides formosipes but that is most commonly referred to simply as the whitebanded crab spider has the uncanny ability to change its body color to match that of its surroundings.
In a study in the journal Ecological Entomology, University of Nebraska specialists Gary Dodson and Alissa Anderson explain that the reason these spiders have evolved to blend in with their environment is that this helps them ambush their prey.
“This species of spider crab is one of the few that can reversibly change their body color in a manner that to the human eye results in a match to the flowers on which they ambush prey,” says Gary Dodson.
Interestingly, it's only the females belonging to this species that have the ability to alter their looks to make sure they aren't noticed by their prey until it is already too late for their next meal to even stand a chance of making a run for it.
Besides, they are about 20 times larger than the males. They spend most of their time hanging around on flowers, waiting for their next victim to come to them. When the time comes to birth a new generation, they simply wait for the males to find them.
