WILD MONTH

1 | CRAB SPIDER

Deadly disguise

urking among the nation’s herbaceous borders and other flowery places are predators with a chameleon-like talent for changing colour. Female crab spiders can often match their background beautifully, but for some reason the smaller males don’t possess this skill. Of the 30 or so species of crab spider in Britain, the most widespread is , females of which seek out prominent flowers with wide heads such as ox-eye daisies, hogweed, thistles or knapweed. When