Lynx spider

Fact Box Species: Oxyopes elegans (JS) Family: Oxyopidae Body length: female: 7 mm male: 5 mm Habitat: On the leaves of lush garden plants; this species does not in any form of web for catching insects but is an adept hunter Toxicity: Unknown; may be too small to cause serious illness in humans but the bite of this spider is said to be painful

The male Female and egg sac Another male

This species has relatively long, spiny legs which are partly folded back over the body for much of the time. A magnifying glass reveals that the spines project out at right angles to the legs and that the eyes are in a hexagonal pattern.

Oxyopids share with most salticids the ability to move about by jumping from surface to surface. Members of all other spider families are unable to jump although they may fall from a height and be carried in the breeze if small.

Spider(s) with a very similar appearance: Oxyopes rubicundus and Oxyopes species.