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Guides

• Xysticus funestus

  mournful ground crab spider, sad ground crab spider, deadly ground crab spider

  Xysticus funestus is a ground crab spider in the family Thomisidae, native to North America. It is one of many ambush-hunting crab spiders that rely on elongated front legs to capture prey. The species has been documented in field observations as an adult in early spring and has been recorded as prey for the spider wasp Dipogon calipterus. Despite its alarming common name "deadly ground crab spider," it poses no medical threat to humans.

  Thomisidaeground-crab-spiderambush-predatorNorth-Americaballooningspider-wasp-preynon-medical-bite-riskspring-activityoverwintering-adultgravid-female-March-observationColoradoWisconsinDipogon-calipterus-prey-recordconcrete-path-habitatmailbox-post-observationforest-edgeleaf-litter-overwinteringmisleading-common-nameKeyserling-1880