While I did get to spend some time in the garden, the day job spilled over, and took up a good chunk of my weekend. As such, I don’t have much crafting to share with you so I’ll have to get creative with my post this week.

Today, I’d like to share a garden friend I’ve shared before. It’s one of my personal favourites.

The friendly, neighborhood Flower Crab Spider!!! Here are some fun facts about them?

Ambush predator
These spiders don’t build webs. Instead, they lie in wait on flowers to grab unsuspecting prey like bees, moths, and flies with their powerful front legs and inject venom

“Crab-like” appearance & movement
Named for their crab-like look and sideways movement, they have front legs that extend sideways and resemble those of crabs.

Colour-changing masters
Female flower crab spiders can shift between white and yellow over several days to match their floral backdrop

Vision-based colour change
They rely on visual cues—not scent—to decide which colour to become. In fact, they may even pick up pigments from prey!

Males track females by silk draglines
Without emitting pheromones, females leave silk trails as they move. Males follow these draglines to locate potential mates

Parental investment & lifecycle
Females create leaf-roll nests with silk to lay eggs in mid-summer, guarding them until hatching. Mothers die soon after their young emerge. Females typically live ~2 years; males less

But the most exciting thing about them, I learned just recently!

They can capture and kill the Dreaded Japanese Beetle!!!! Now I just need about 20,000 Flower Crab Spiders and I just might keep those flying jerks under control!