One of the 'flower spiders' (so-called because they generally hunt in similarly-colored flowers for visitors such as bees and flies), Misumenops asperatus is a much smaller nearctic relative of the better-known Goldenrod Spider Misumena vatia. M. asperatus is easily told by the markings on its abdomen (a "capped" V, with the point of the V at the end of the somewhat angular abdomen) and its striped legs. The background color of the abdomen is often whitish or even a pale greenish color, in contrast to its larger relatives, which may be white but are more often yellow.