The Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) is a large, bright green spider that can be found on many shrub-like plants throughout the Southern United States, it is the largest North American lynx spider. It is common throughout Florida and will aggressively attack its insect prey but will very rarely bite humans. Lynx spiders in general, are an essential predator of crop-damaging insects, making them an interest for agricultural pest management. However, their usefulness in controlling pest insects is also contradicted by their willingness to prey on beneficial insects.
The female is large, measuring 12 to 22 mm long; the average is 16 mm. Males are a bit smaller and more slender, with the average length being 12 mm. The cephalothorax is highest in the eye region, where it is narrow but broadens out considerably behind. The body is transparent and bright green; usually, there is a red patch between the eyes and red spots on the body. Numbers and sizes vary between individuals. The eye region is covered with little hairs. The legs are pale green to yellow and are quite long and thin with very long, black spines and numerous black spots. Green lynxes are diurnal hunters; they are very agile and can leap from place to place with great precision. Their keen eyesight can be compared to that of wolf and fishing spiders. Their method of hunting is to pause and wait to catch their prey; they do not use webs to capture prey.
Photo Credit: Lynn Marie
Author: Destiny Alvarez – Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Oregon