Come too close to a green lynx spider, and this little arachnid just might spit in your eye. This creature can squirt venom from its fangs and blind a victim with a direct hit. The spider's main use for its venom, however, is to inject it into insects. This spider uses its coloring to hide on leaves and wait for prey. This little spider is also quick enough to snag victims zooming by through the air!
Wait for It: When the green lynx spider sits motionless on a leaf, it blends right in. This spider spends most of its time waiting in ambush, and pounces on unwary insects that crawl or land within reach of its lightning-fast strike.
What's That Smell? What looks like an extra set of rounded legs next to this spider's fangs are actually pediplaps. The hairs on these organs operate like a nose, catching scents in the air and helping the spider find where the smells are coming from.
Out of Sight[]
This spider ambushes butterflies.
The green lynx spider's camouflage not only prevents its prey from spotting it but also hides it from predators, such as birds. If the spider is spotted, however, it has a nasty trick to play. The green lynx spider first tries to run away from danger, but if an enemy chases it and backs it into a corner, the arachnid rears up and fires. It aims its fangs directly at the attacker's eyes and squirts twin streams of venom. The spider's spraying action is so powerful that it can hit a target from eight inches away!
Air Strike: As a green lynx spider waits in ambush, many flying insects buzz by without seeing the predator. If one flies close enough, the spider can leap from its perch and stab the victim with its fangs in mid-air!
Got a Match: Some green lynx spiders aren't green. Spiders in the western United States are sometimes yellow or light brown, an adaptation to hunting in patches of wild buckwheat, which are the same colors.
Bee Done[]
- While a green lynx spider is setting up an ambush, its keen eyesight helps it spot a bee circling in the distance. The spider watches as the bee moves in closer.
- As the bee zooms in to land on a nearby flower, the green lynx spider leaps from the leaf to attack. The spider lands squarely on the flying insect's back.
- Even before the bee lands, the spider has dug its fangs into the bee's body, and injects it with venom. The grounded bee is now too weak to put up a fight.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The knowledge card says Green Lynx Spider. The trading card says Lynx Spider.
- The green lynx spider is used in one of the example creatures for Create-A-Monster on Monster Mania 89.