Green Lynx (Peucetia viridans)

The Green Lynx is a species of large green spiders found in certain parts of both the Americas. Spider-watchers often confuse it with another lynx spider Peucetia longipalpis (sometimes called the ‘Lesser Green Lynx Spider’) that share a common range, as well as with the African P. viridis, and the Indian P. viridana.

Green Lynx Spider

Scientific Classification

• Family: Oxyopidae
• Genus: Peucetia
• Scientific name: Peucetia viridans

Physical Description and Identification

Adults

Size: Like most spiders, the females are larger, ranging from 12 to 22 mm in length, whereas the slender males are around 12 mm.

Color: Typically bright green in color with most individuals having pairs of diagonal lines in white or burgundy or both, around the center of the abdominal area that further point towards the spider’s head. The legs have a dense scattering of dark spots.

Other Characteristic Features: All eight legs bear black spines, a feature common to most species of the Oxyopidae family.

The Green Lynx Spider

Eggs

Each of the one to five egg sacs is 2 cm (0.8 in) broad, with one egg sac containing 25 to 600 eggs. The eggs are bright orange in color and are laid in around September-October. The female guards the sacs hanging upside down, and attacks anything that tries to approach. It takes about a couple of weeks for the eggs to hatch.

Green Lynx Spider Egg

Green Lynx Spider Egg Sac

Spiderlings

The tiny spiderlings remain within the egg sac for about two weeks, before they are ready to come out and survive on their own. There are a total of eight transformational stages or instars for the spiderlings to attain adulthood.

Green Lynx Spider Babies

How Poisonous is the Green Lynx Spider

The green lynx spiders rarely bite, and even if they do for defense purposes, the venom injected is not deadly, at least to humans.

Green Lynx Spider Female

Quick Facts

Green Lynx Spider Pictures

Green Lynx Spider Bite

Did You Know

• This is a hunting spider that moves around places, foraging, and hence, does not construct a web to sit and wait for its prey.
• The green lynx spider has an appetite for insects belonging to the Lepidoptera family (moths and their larvae) that are known to be enemies of crops like corn, cotton, cabbage, etc. Although, their importance in the controlling of pests is counteracted by their proneness in preying upon useful insects like honeybee.
• Their green coloration is an adaptation for camouflaging among the leaves, so they can stalk their prey.
• While guarding eggs, the spider mothers have a habit of squirting venom from its fang-like appendages (chelicerae) from a distance of about one foot to any ‘enemy’.
• In Latin, the species’ specific name viridans translates to ‘becoming green’.

Image Credits: Bugguide.net, Objects.liquidweb.services, Spidertangle.files.wordpress.com, Emckiernan.files.wordpress.com, 4.bp.blogspot.com, Images.fineartamerica.com, 2.bp.blogspot.com, C1.staticflickr.com