can take over 3 days, while the change from yellow to white takes longer. The yellow coloring is due to ommochrome pigments being produced. The appearance of white is due to guanine and uric acid in the epidermis. Hunting and diet Female M. formosipes hunt by waiting on inflorescences and capturing pollinators that visit the flower. Male M. formosipes are nectarivores and get a majority of their nutrients from consuming nectar from Daucus carota , commonly known as Queen Anne's Lace. Since the male M. formosipes are significantly smaller than the females, they are able to benefit from the low amounts of sucrose found in nectar. Reproduction and lifecycle Egg laying The female crab spider will deposit their eggs into a silk sack roughly 10-14mm wide on nearby foliage. There will be around 80 to 180 tan colored eggs wrapped in the silk. The female will then guard the sack until she dies. Activity M. formosipes diurnal, so it is active during the day. They have a very high temperature tolerance and are able to withstand temperatures up to 48.2 °C (118.76 °F) and down to 2.2 °C (35.96 °F). They prefer temperatures around 18.4 °C (65.12 °F). Sexual dimorphism The sexual dimorphism of the white banded crab spider has resulted in significantly smaller males from females. Females can grow to be around 5.0-11.3 millimeters (0.20-0.44 inches) and males can grow to be 2.5-3.2 mm (0.10-0.13 in). Since the males are actively searching for females, this smaller size is beneficial for both traveling and survival. Males will travel by jumping from one plant part to another as well as traversing across a string of silk they throw into the wind that stick to an object. Their smaller size also helps them stay hidden from predators. Pre-copulatory mate guarding Male M. formosipes spend a significant amount of time searching for unmated penultimate females. Once a mate has been found, the male will then live on the female's inflorescence and fight off any intruding males. Virgin female M. formosipes will not resist mating attempts, so the male that is closest once the female molts into maturity will have a mating advantage. When two males of equal size fight, the resident spider will win a majority of the time over the intruder male. Males that also have previous experience at winning fights will have a much greater advantage. References Thomisidae Spiders of North