Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans): Egg Laying Time Again…

Last year I didn’t notice the Green Lynx spiders in the butterfly bush until late summer and then followed their egg laying and guarding the egg cases last year,. I thought they must have been in the bush all year but I just hadn’t noticed them. This year I was actively looking for them. I saw a young spider in spring but then didn’t see them at all during summer. They may have been there but, if so, they were very unobtrusive. It’s also possible that they weren’t there but gravitated to the butterfly bush because it's a good place to find insects to eat and fatten up before laying eggs.

Then, in August, several females appeared. They were fat and healthy, ready to lay eggs.

They lurked on the underside of the flowers on the butterfly bush waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting butterfly, bee or fly.


Now they have laid eggs and each will guard its egg case faithfully until the eggs hatch. It’s not clear that they will eat during this time. They will fearlessly attack anything - including a human finger - that approaches.

Identification resource:
- BugGuide: Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) [Male] [Female]
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