The Tibellus Oblongus Spider is also known as the running crab spider and is one of 2 spider families using the crab spider name. They can be found in the Pacific Northwest and California, including all west coast areas, except for Oregon. They can be observed throughout Vancouver Island.
Running crab spiders, as their name implies, chase down their prey. Most other crab spiders perch on flowers and the surrounding leaves, waiting for prey to come to them.
Adult members of this genus can reach up to15 mm in length. They are usually found above the ground surface, on low vegetation, foliage or herbaceous plants. It’s an ideal habitat for pursuing prey, as they, like a few other spider species, do not use webs. This genus was at one time considered a subfamily within the sedentary crab spiders.
The running crab spider’s body color is light brown to a pale yellow. It is long and slender, and both carapace & abdomen exhibit a large brown stripe running down the middle of the back. Their long and thin legs are more or less equal in length. They have 8 black eyes in 2 horizontal rows of 4 each.