Tan crab spider (Xysticus ferox)
The tan crab spider is a spider in the family Thomisidae that is not dangerous to people. GBIF holds 335 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 14 states, most of all Illinois (187), Indiana (45) and Wisconsin (18).
Xysticus ferox, the brown crab spider, is a species of crab spider in the family Thomisidae. It is found in the USA and Canada.
From Wikipedia: Xysticus ferox, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is the tan crab spider poisonous or venomous?
Not in any medically significant way. Like almost all spiders the tan crab spider (family Thomisidae) has venom for its prey, but it is not a widow or recluse, the two U.S. groups whose bites need medical attention.
Which states have the tan crab spider?
The tan crab spider's U.S. record is concentrated: Illinois alone holds 56% of licensed records. It is listed in 14 states in all; the next are Indiana (45), Wisconsin (18) and Alaska (12).
| # | State | Records | Share of state spiders | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | 187 | 1.0% | 7th of 243 |
| 2 | Indiana | 45 | 1.0% | 19th of 133 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | 18 | 0.6% | 45th of 149 |
| 4 | Alaska | 12 | 0.0% | 248th of 280 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 10 | 0.1% | 87th of 164 |
| 6 | Texas | 7 | 0.0% | 234th of 386 |
| 7 | Ohio | 5 | 0.1% | 114th of 332 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 2 | 0.0% | 121st of 189 |
| 9 | Mississippi | 2 | 0.1% | 82nd of 117 |
| 10 | New Mexico | 2 | 0.1% | 125th of 247 |
| 11 | Colorado | 1 | 0.0% | 149th of 378 |
| 12 | Maine | 1 | 0.1% | 61st of 297 |
| 13 | Minnesota | 0 | — | — |
| 14 | North Dakota | 0 | — | — |
Where the tan crab spider is recorded in each state
Illinois
Illinois holds 187 licensed records, the 7th most recorded of 243 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Illinois come from Jo Daviess County, Mason County and Cook County. Next come Champaign County (7) and McHenry County (5).
Indiana
Indiana holds 45 licensed records, the 19th most recorded of 133 spiders listed there. Most of its licensed records in Indiana come from Lake County, Monroe County and Orange County. Next come Parke County (1) and Porter County (1).
Top counties in the U.S.
| # | County | State | Records | Share of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jo Daviess County | Illinois | 118 | 35.2% |
| 2 | Lake County | Indiana | 39 | 11.6% |
| 3 | Mason County | Illinois | 19 | 5.7% |
| 4 | Cook County | Illinois | 18 | 5.4% |
| 5 | Champaign County | Illinois | 7 | 2.1% |
| 6 | McHenry County | Illinois | 5 | 1.5% |
| 7 | Carroll County | Illinois | 5 | 1.5% |
| 8 | Iroquois County | Illinois | 3 | 0.9% |
| 9 | Will County | Illinois | 2 | 0.6% |
| 10 | Fulton County | Illinois | 2 | 0.6% |
| 11 | Lake County | Illinois | 2 | 0.6% |
| 12 | Pope County | Illinois | 2 | 0.6% |
| 13 | Union County | Illinois | 2 | 0.6% |
| 14 | Lee County | Illinois | 1 | 0.3% |
| 15 | Vermilion County | Illinois | 1 | 0.3% |
How recent are the tan crab spider records?
The tan crab spider record leans on older material: only 27% of dated U.S. records come from 2017–2026, and the median record is from 2013. The oldest dated record is from 1935; the busiest year was 2016, with 41 records.
| Decade | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 4 | 1.2% |
| 1950s | 2 | 0.6% |
| 1960s | 12 | 3.6% |
| 1970s | 4 | 1.2% |
| 1980s | 7 | 2.1% |
| 1990s | 44 | 13.1% |
| 2000s | 37 | 11.0% |
| 2010s | 177 | 52.7% |
| 2020s | 49 | 14.6% |
Species recorded in the same counties
Of the 21 counties where the tan crab spider is most recorded, 14 are also top counties for the nursery web spider, more than for any other spider. None of its closest neighbors is venomous.
| Species | Shared counties |
|---|---|
| Nursery web spider | 14 |
| Whitebanded crab spider | 13 |
| Black-and-yellow argiope | 12 |
| Brush-legged split wolf spider | 12 |
| Common white-cheeked jumping spider | 12 |
| Dimorphic jumper | 12 |
| Peppered jumper | 12 |
| Bold jumper | 11 |
Related species in the U.S.
Other members of the family Thomisidae with profiles here: Goldenrod crab spider, Whitebanded crab spider, American green crab spider, Flower crab spider, Black-banded crab spider and Celer crab spider.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.