Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridens)
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For a large and brightly colored spider, the Green Lynx is rarely noticed. Unlike some other members of the family Oxyopidae, this spider does not actively hunt, but instead lies in wait for unwary bees, flies, and other insects. The spiders almost always choose light green foliage on which to position themselves. They prefer to be near flowers, but still tend to be perfectly camouflaged. The photos here both show females, but the males look similar and are just a bit smaller.
Like most spiders, the green lynx only lives one year. The female produces one large egg sac, which she guards until the baby spiders hatch out at the end of summer. She usually dies shortly afterwards.
The red and light markings on each spider can vary, but the legs usually remain a light cream or yellowish color. However, this too can change. There is a variable amount of red that can appear on the legs, probably in much the same way that crab spiders gradually change their color, and it seems to be determined solely by the colors surrounding the spider.
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class: Arachnida / order: Araneae / family: Oxyopidae / genus: Peucetia / species: viridens
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