Green Lynx Spider - I don't need no stinking web!

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The Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans (Hentz, 1832)) can pounce on a bug and kill it before the insect can say, "Katydid." The Green Lynx Spider is one super fast, agile, killing machine of a spider. "How fast?" you ask. Fast- so fast that they are one of the species of spiders that doesn't have to use a web to catch their food. In fact, Green Lynx Spiders probably look down on their slower, web dwelling brethren.

These spiders live in low shrubs, flowers, and other plants. They are very common in the Southeastern United States. According to the link at the following URL and Florida's Division of Plant Industry: http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/beneficial/green_lynx_spider.htm they are asked to identify this species of spider more often than any other spider. The site also reports that a bite from this spider is of "little concern" to humans. Ha! Tell my wife that! :)

As noted by the scientific name, Hentz was the person to first describe this species of spider, the following are some notes that he made about his species:
spread their feet like many species of Thomisus On the first of September a large female was brought to me in a glass vessel I call it Sphasus viridans It is of a pale grass color with the disk of the abdomen yellowish except an oblong longitudinal line in the middle which has a double row of three or four oval oblique yellow spots separated by a longitudinal blackish line feet pale with yellow joints Length 0.81 of an inch It was impregnated and with eggs After a few days it made a web of very strong threads like that of Theridium in the middle of which was placed its cocoon which is perfectly conical made with great exactness and is supplied around with little mammula from which depart the threads which bind it to the web The mother watched it constantly and never left it as long as she lived The young were hatched on the 14th of October and continued together for many weeks during the winter but gradually died they were of a deep orange color and full 0.9 of an inch in length The mother had previously been destroyed by an accident which I regretted very much for I have some reasons to think that the young are carried on the back of the mother as in Lycosa and wished to have ascertained that fact
THE SPIDERS OF THE UNITED STATES. By EDWARD BURGESS

The following is a video that I made of a Green Lynx Spider nest with hatchlings and with the female Green Lynx Spider guarding the nest.

3 comments:

Cindy said...

Greetings from California! I'm always on the lookout for new nature/bug blogs. It's interesting to see what bugs we have in common, like this spider, and is that a fiery skipper she's eating? Best of luck with this blog. Come visit Bug Safari.

October 12, 2007 9:43 PM
Steve said...

I wonder if some of the more competitive Green Lynx Spiders shave their legs to reduce wind resistance. Eight hairly legs has got to be a drag. :)

October 13, 2007 11:04 PM
The Giraffe Head Tree said...

Oh hey!!! Here it is!!! My Lynx Spider! I have tons of photos of one, and his (her?) unusual web. Cool looking spiders, but insects might disagree...

March 12, 2008 4:29 PM

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