Flower-dwelling
Guides
Attulus floricola
Flower Jumping Spider
Attulus floricola is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae with a widespread Holarctic distribution spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. Originally described as Euophrys floricola in 1837, the species has undergone extensive taxonomic revision, with North American populations formerly recognized as separate species or subspecies before being synonymized in 2020. The species name refers to its habit of living on flower heads and similar vegetation. It inhabits wetland habitats including bogs, marshes, fens, and meadows.
Mecaphesa
crab spiders
Mecaphesa is a genus of crab spiders in the family Thomisidae, first described by Eugène Simon in 1900. The genus contains approximately 49 species distributed across North America, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, and Hawaii. Species exhibit cryptic coloration for ambush predation on flowers.
Mecaphesa celer
swift crab spider
Mecaphesa celer is a crab spider in the family Thomisidae, commonly known as the swift crab spider. It is distributed across much of North and Central America. The species exhibits extreme sexual size dimorphism, with females more than twice the size of males. It is a sit-and-wait predator that hunts on flowers and upper plant parts, and has been studied for its population genetics in fragmented volcanic habitats.
Phymata
jagged ambush bugs
Phymata is a genus of ambush bugs in the family Reduviidae, commonly known as jagged ambush bugs. These insects are characterized by their distinctive jagged, sculptured body form that provides camouflage on vegetation. They are sit-and-wait predators that capture prey on flowers, with raptorial front legs adapted for seizing insects. The genus occurs in the Americas and Palaearctic realm, with multiple species documented in North America including P. americana and P. pennsylvanica, which hybridize where their ranges overlap.
Phymata americana
Jagged Ambush Bug, Ambush Bug
Phymata americana is a predatory true bug in the family Reduviidae, commonly known as the jagged ambush bug. It is native to North and Central America, where it hunts on flowers using a sit-and-wait strategy. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in body size and weapon morphology, with females typically larger than males and possessing disproportionately longer raptorial forelegs. Color polymorphism occurs, with individuals showing variation in body coloration that appears to influence flower color preference for camouflage.
Phymata borica
Ambush bug
Phymata borica is a species of ambush bug in the family Reduviidae, described by Evans in 1931. Like other members of the genus Phymata, it is a predatory insect that hunts by waiting motionless on flowers to capture visiting pollinators. The species is found in North America, though specific details about its range and ecology remain limited in available sources.
Phymata luxa
jagged ambush bug
Phymata luxa is a species of ambush bug in the family Reduviidae, first described by Evans in 1931. As a member of the genus Phymata, it is a predatory insect that hunts on flowers using a sit-and-wait ambush strategy. The species is found in North America, though specific details about its range and ecology remain limited compared to better-studied congeners.
Phymata metcalfi
jagged ambush bug
Phymata metcalfi is a species of jagged ambush bug in the family Reduviidae. As with other members of the genus Phymata, it is a predatory insect that hunts on flowers, using its raptorial front legs to seize prey. The species is part of a group of ambush bugs known for their distinctive flattened, angular body shape and effective camouflage among blossoms. Like congeners, it likely exploits the high insect traffic on composite flowers such as goldenrods and sunflowers.