[1][2] Faxonius virilis can be found under stones and logs in lakes, streams, and wetlands, where they hide from predators, such as fish.

They are identified by the brown of rust-red carapace and large chelipeds, which are usually blue in colour.

Faxonius virilis feeds on a wide range of plants and invertebrates, as well as tadpoles and even small fish.

Faxonius virilis is found in southern Canada from Alberta to Quebec and in the northern United States,[2] but has become an invasive species in parts of North America outside its native range, and was discovered in the United Kingdom in 2008.

[7] This implies that this species cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union.