National Museum of Natural Science

The masked crab spider (Thomisus labefactus) belongs to the family Thomisidae. Adults have a body length of around 0.8 cm. They are common in low-elevation suburban areas of Taiwan. The masked crab spider has brown markings around its eyes, which makes it appear as if it is wearing a mask, which is a characteristic of many spiders in the family Thomisidae. Like other crab spiders, the front two pairs of legs are extremely long and the back two pairs of legs are extremely short. As such, they resemble crabs, as their common name suggests.

Masked crab spiders do not build webs to catch prey. Instead they hide inside a flower and ambush insects that are attracted to the flower, such as bees and moths.

Masked crab spider (adult female)