The goldenrod crab spider is a small ambush hunter that waits on flowers instead of spinning a web. A female sits still on a blossom until a bee, fly or butterfly lands, then grabs it with her front legs and bites. Her venom lets her overpower insects larger than herself, and bees are a favorite. Her fangs are too small to be a danger to people.
What makes this spider stand out is its color. Females are white or yellow and can change color to match the flower they are sitting on, which makes them very hard to spot. Males look like a different animal: much smaller, with a reddish-brown front body, reddish front legs, yellow back legs and a pale abdomen marked with a pair of red bands.
After mating, a female wraps her eggs in a folded leaf sealed with silk and stands guard over them without eating until they hatch, about three weeks later. She dies soon after. The tiny spiderlings look like miniature adults and grow by shedding their skins, and few live more than two years.
Around Mt. Hood, look closely at white and yellow flowers in meadows and forest openings. A spider the same color as the petals is easy to miss.
How to identify it
Females are about a quarter to a third of an inch long, white or yellow, sometimes with reddish marks on the sides of the abdomen. Males are only about an eighth of an inch long, with a reddish-brown front body, reddish front legs, yellow hind legs and a pale abdomen with a pair of red bands. Usually found sitting still on a flower.
Habitat
On flowers and other plants in open, flowery places such as meadows, forest openings and trail edges, especially on white and yellow blooms.
Sightings in the forest
143 research-grade sightings in Mt. Hood National Forest on iNaturalist, most recently on August 14, 2026. See them on iNaturalist →