Bug Squad
Article

The Spider and the Bee

A crab spider,  family Thomisidae, lies motionless in a patch of lavender, waiting to ambush a honey bee.   

So here I am, a crab spider, as hungry as can be

Does anyone out there feel sorry for me?

"Yes," say the arachnologists. The apiculturists say "no."

Well, I'll just hang out in the lavender and keep lying low. 

Hey, looky there! I'm going to fast-track that bee.

Sorry, I am who I am, and I gotta be me.

 

(Was the spider successful? Or did it experience food insecurity? To be continued)

A crab spider lies in wait, as a honey bee nectars on a lavender blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A crab spider lies in wait, as a honey bee nectars on a lavender blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The honey bee takes flight, out of reach of the crab spider. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The honey bee takes flight, out of reach of the crab spider. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
You missed me, Mr. Crab Spider. You missed me. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
You missed me, Mr. Crab Spider. You missed me. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)