Green Lynx Spider
Peucetia viridans
The green lynx is a vibrant green spider that makes its home in grass and shrubs. Receiving its name due to its method of hunting prey, the green lynx spider is known to ambush other insects by pouncing on them in surprise. We would not consider the green lynx a difficult spider to identify.
Identification Guide
- Primary Colors: The green lynx spider is colored with various shades of green and yellow. The body is usually a darker green than the legs, which can be as light as gray or white with yellow or green stripes. The spider will often have other red and white markings on specific parts of the body outlined below.
- Body Characteristics: The body is usually very thin and narrow on a green lynx spider. The eye area protrudes higher than the rest of the cephalothorax. Often times a brown or red discoloration can be seen around the eyes (see pictures). You will usually see large amounts of tiny, densely covered hairs on the abdomen. These hairs also appear on the head, only they are more scarce and harder to see.
- Legs: The legs on a green lynx spider are very long and are covered in black spines and spots. Much lighter in color than the body, the legs will have a couple yellow colored stripes running across them, often at the 'joints'.
- Markings: The markings on the abdomen can be quite impressive. A nearly symmetrical pattern of red and white markings run down the center of the abdomen. Variations in this are common, and sometimes the markings are not always clearly seen, being overwhelmed by the dominant green color. The line seen in picture 2 down the center, in between the markings, is the spider's heart.
- What to remember: Lynx spiders have unique body characteristics, making them easy to identify. They are very quick and agile who choose to hunt their prey instead of waiting in webs. If you want to go looking for this spider, we recommend looking inside large flowers and shrubs, a likely hiding place when hunting.
