How Do Crab Spiders Change Color?
WouterCrab spiders have the ability to change their color, and many of these spiders can change from yellow to white, or from white to yellow. However, the exact mechanism by which they change color is unknown. This type of camouflage may give crab spiders an advantage over predators when they are trying to hunt, and may even lower their risk of being eaten.
A new study published in the Ecological Entomology journal examined the ability of crab spiders to change their color. Researchers used Adobe Photoshop software to record the time it takes for spiders to change color. They also measured the amount of time it took for spiders to be successful at capturing prey.
The scientists studied two groups of crab spiders. One group was known as “flower spiders,” which ambush visiting pollinators in flowers. Typically, these spiders don’t build webs, but they do have front legs that help them catch their prey.
Another group of crab spiders is known as the “sit-and-wait predators,” or Thomisus spectabilis. These spiders will sit on a flower and wait for insects to pass by. Rather than spin webs, these spiders collect packages of sperm with their palps and deposit them on the ground.
In addition to laying eggs, crab spiders are also known to have the ability to change their color. Scientists believe this color change helps the female crab spiders to be safer from predators.
There are over 500 different species of spiders that change their color, and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. The process is very slow, and can take between 2 and 21 days.
