CLOSED: Ghostly White Spider

Found this neat looking spider today hanging out on an Achillea. What is its name?

White-banded Crab and a very pretty one.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/138006

kwanjin - a week ago you identified a very similar spider I posted saying "I think it's a Goldenrod Crab Spider. Misumena vatia.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/6751 "

I don't care which it is, I just think they both are the same.

kwanjin, Here's another pic and is the last one I was able to capture. What I thought was interesting, besides being white, were the dimples on its back. Do these mean anything? Do White-Banded Crab Spiders have the ability to change colors or do they remain White?

greenthumb99, What a great shot of your Spider eating a fly. We don't live that far apart and wonder if yours might be the same one too. It'll be interesting to learn and find out.

Not sure what the dimples are or do but the spider is large enough to have it's full color. They vary widely from what I can see.

GT, your spider may, indeed, be the same. They are so close as to not make much difference. They are both Flower Crabs.

FruitOfTheVine - I was lucky enough to witness the incident. As I was getting situated to take photo of the spider a fly landed on the flower head. In a flash the spider reached up and grabbed it. The litter of dead flies around the plant reminded me of a time when there was a preying mantis on my Anise Hyssop and the ground below was littered with butterfly wings.

Thank you again, kwanjin. He or she was fat with prey or eggs. I'd prefer to think whatever sex it was had just digested a few pesky Face Flies.

greenthumb99, How amazing you were eye witness! My encounter today was purely happenstance while weeding. It was an entertaining experience, but far less dramatic than yours.

Neither my husband nor me, or a neighbor who stopped by while I was taking photos, had ever seen a white spider. Or at least none of us have ever noticed one up close. This time of year Orb weavers are prevalent and love seeing their perfectly formed webs glistening with morning dew.

Should I mark this thread closed?

You're very welcome. Close it only if you're satisfied with the ID.

GT, you got lucky with that shot. Very nice! ^_^

These are also Flower Crabs.

This message was edited Sep 11, 2012 9:57 PM

great pics!

That fellow stayed in the same exact spot for days but has now moved on.

Will mark this one solved, thanks to all of you for your help and comments.