- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
We can learn a lot from insects, especially when a predator ambushes its prey.
An ambush, as defined by Wikipedia "is a long-established military tactic in which the aggressors (the ambushing force) use concealment to attack a passing enemy."
The crab spider is a perfect example of an insect that conceals itself in a flower and waits for an unsuspecting visitor.
The crab spider doesn't build a web to trap its prey. No, too much wasted energy. It capitalizes on concealment, the element of surprise, and the quick assault and rapid kill.
And then, a leisurely meal.
Crab spiders or Thomisidae family (order Araneae) resemble crabs in that they can move sideways or backward.
You rarely notice them.
Neither do their prey--until it's too late.
![CUNNING CRAB SPIDER lies in wait near the tip of a lavender blossom. This photo was taken at 6:30 in the morning pending the arrival of visiting bees, hover flies and other insects. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) CUNNING CRAB SPIDER lies in wait near the tip of a lavender blossom. This photo was taken at 6:30 in the morning pending the arrival of visiting bees, hover flies and other insects. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/4351.jpg)
![GOTCHA--This hungry crab spider, hidden in lavender blossoms, nailed an early lunch, a stink bug. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) GOTCHA--This hungry crab spider, hidden in lavender blossoms, nailed an early lunch, a stink bug. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/4352.jpg)