Head to head
Goldenrod Crab Spider vs Jumping Spider
Goldenrod Crab Spider
VS Jumping Spider
The goldenrod crab spider and jumping spiders are two groups of spiders that catch prey without webs, but one ambushes and the other stalks.
| Goldenrod Crab Spider | Jumping Spider | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Misumena vatia | Salticidae (a family of over 6,000 species) |
| Hunting style | Ambushes visiting insects from a flower, waiting motionless with its front legs held wide | Stalks and pounces, using sharp eyesight, and sees fine detail and colour |
| Prey | Bees, flies, and butterflies, including prey much larger than itself | Insects, other spiders, and mites, with a few species also sipping nectar and one eating mostly plants |
| Colour and display | A female can change colour between white and yellow, over several days, to match her flower | Males perform species-specific visual displays, and peacock spiders raise coloured abdominal flaps and wave patterned legs |
| Silk | Does not spin a web to catch prey, and wraps her egg sac in a leaf | Anchors a silk dragline before every jump, which controls its body in mid-air and lets it climb back after a miss |
| Size | Females are much larger than the tiny males | Most are 2 to 12 mm long |
| Range | Meadows, gardens, and woodland edges across Europe, Asia, and North America | Worldwide, from grassland and forest to desert, mountains, gardens, and house walls |
| Conservation status | Not Evaluated globally, though widespread and common | Not Evaluated globally |
Goldenrod Crab Spider vs Jumping Spider: common questions
Which spider changes colour?
The goldenrod crab spider, whose female can change between white and yellow, over several days, to match the flower she sits on.
Which spider has the best eyesight?
Jumping spiders, which have the best eyesight of any animal their size.
Do either spin a web to catch prey?
No, neither spins a capture web, though jumping spiders use a silk safety line when they leap.