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Project Noah Nature School
Thomisus citrinellus
The large yellow spider is the female and the smaller, darker spider is the male. This sexual dimorphism is typical to this family of crab spiders. It is common to see the male riding piggyback on the female. Males will seek out (probably attracted to pheromones) subadult females and wait until their final molt when they are more vulnerable to his advances. He will mate and then seek out another female.
spotted on the caper bush (Capparis sp.) in my desert garden
Spotted on Apr 25, 2016
Submitted on May 13, 2016
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