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What might this be?

Zoe P2Zoe P2 Posts: 676
in Wildlife gardening
I found this in my garden.  It looks a bit like a spider but I've never seen one this white and this round.  Is it a spider?  A friend or a foe?






Sorry, the second photo is out of focus as the thing wouldn't stand still for me!




I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character

  Martin Luther King

Posts

  • FireFire North LondonPosts: 17,116
    Are there any spider foes in the UK?
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 SomersetPosts: 10,541
    Some of them bite apparently.
  • Zoe P2Zoe P2 Posts: 676
    Probably not.  But, is it a spider?  Odd colour, I think.  Or, perhaps, I'm wrong?



    I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character

      Martin Luther King

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Derbyshire but with a Nottinghamshire postcode. Posts: 16,473
    White crab spider.  Misumina vatia.
  • Zoe P2Zoe P2 Posts: 676
    Lizzie27 said:
    Some of them bite apparently.
    Useful to know.  Thank you, Lizzie.



    I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character

      Martin Luther King

  • wild edgeswild edges The north west of south east WalesPosts: 8,886
    Fire said:
    Are there any spider foes in the UK?
    One keeps attaching its web to some cuttings I've got in a pot and then if I touch the web it pulls the cuttings out of the soil. I'm not sure if that counts though as it's eaten quite a lot of greenfly.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • Zoe P2Zoe P2 Posts: 676

    Thank you, Fidgetbones.  I googled it and found that they're referred to as "crab spiders" or "flower spiders" and some other interesting information:

    Do crab spiders bite humans?

    They are venomous, but most crab spiders have mouthparts too small to pierce human skin. Even the giant crab spider, which is large enough to successfully bitepeople, typically causes only mild pain and no lasting side effects.

    And

    Crab spiders are “sit and wait” predators that do not use webs. Their venom is highly toxic to bees, enabling them to tackle much larger prey. ... However, flower crab spiders themselves perform a little pollination.

    I don't like the fact that they kill bees  :( 



    I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character

      Martin Luther King

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