Peucetia viridans

Green lynx spider
On a Sarracenia pitcher plant, Green Swamp, North Carolina
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Infraorder: Araneomorphae
Family: Oxyopidae
Genus: Peucetia
Species:
P. viridans
Binomial name
Peucetia viridans
(Hentz, 1832)
Synonyms
List
  • Sphasus viridans
  • Clastes abbot
  • Clastes viridis
  • Clastes roseus
  • Oxyopes viridans
  • Sphasus poeyi
  • Peucetia thalassina
  • Peucetia aurora
  • Peucetia bibranchiata
  • Peucetia rubricapilla
  • Peucetia poeyi
  • Peucetia abboti

Peucetia viridans, the green lynx spider, is a bright-green lynx spider usually found on green plants. It is the largest North American species in the family Oxyopidae. This spider is common in the southern U.S., Mexico, Central America, and in many West Indies islands, especially Jamaica. Lynx spiders are hunters specialized for living on plants. This species does not use a web to capture its prey. It pounces on its prey in a cat-like manner, which is the reason for the name lynx. It is active during the day.