Adult females are about 6–8 mm long; males are smaller.
Fine-art photographic collection
Xysticus cristatus
A male that restrains a female with a silk “bridal veil” before attempting to mate.
About this species
Common Crab Spider
Xysticus cristatus(Clerck, 1757)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Xysticus cristatus is a widespread crab spider that ambushes insects on low vegetation and the ground. It does not spin a capture web, but silk becomes central during courtship and reproduction.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Arachnida · Araneae · Thomisidae · Xysticus
Accepted taxon. · checked 2026-07-15
Europe and much of temperate Asia, introduced elsewhereBroad range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
Europe and much of temperate Asia, introduced elsewhere
Grassland, gardens, woodland edges, leaf litter and low vegetation.
Diurnal ambush hunter.
Flies, bees, ants, butterflies and other insects, sometimes larger than the spider.
Solitary; females guard egg sacs.
What makes this species remarkable?
During courtship the male grabs a female’s leg and lays silk over her body and limbs, forming a temporary “bridal veil” before mating.
It hunts without a web, holding its enlarged front legs open like a trap and overpowering insects that may exceed its own body size.
A female fixes a flat silk egg sac beneath a leaf or stone and guards it, while the emerging spiderlings can later disperse through the air on ballooning threads.