Green lynx spider
This spider once sprayed venom at a threat and struck a person's eyes, causing days of irritation, even though its bite itself is rarely serious.
| Where | Shrubs and herbaceous plants, North America |
|---|---|
| Size | Female 12 to 22 mm, male about 12 mm body length |
| When | May to November |
The green lynx spider is bright, almost transparent green with a red patch between the eyes and red spots scattered over the body in varying numbers. Its long, pale green to yellow legs bristle with prominent black spines, and it is the largest lynx spider in North America, females averaging about 16 mm and males about 12 mm.
It hunts by day on shrubs and herbaceous plants, leaping on insect prey with the agility of a jumping spider rather than using a capture web. In late summer or fall the female builds a spiny egg sac among the branches and guards it fiercely, rushing at anything that comes near.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
Green, Red, Yellow
Active
Day
To people
Mild
Bites are uncommon and usually only happen when the spider is guarding her egg sac; they cause brief local pain, itching and redness that clear up within days, and are not dangerous to people. In rare cases a threatened spider has sprayed venom that irritated a person's eyes, so it is best watched rather than handled.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Both hunt on plants without a web, but the striped lynx spider is far smaller, about 4 to 6 mm, and dull gray, tan or rusty brown with dark stripes, never the solid bright green of the green lynx spider.
Questions
Is the Green lynx spider dangerous to people?
Mild. Bites are uncommon and usually only happen when the spider is guarding her egg sac; they cause brief local pain, itching and redness that clear up within days, and are not dangerous to people. In rare cases a threatened spider has sprayed venom that irritated a person's eyes, so it is best watched rather than handled.
When can you see the Green lynx spider?
The Green lynx spider can be seen from May to November, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Susan Aide, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.