- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
(Continued from the July 13th Bug Squad)
Our resident crab spider, family Thomisidae, appears to be an extremely poor hunter. She waits, camouflaged in the lavender patch, as bees buzz around her. They dart away when she lunges at them.
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.
The next day, success. Or, as they say, it was "a good day for the spider and a bad day for the bee."
It was also a good day for a freeloader fly (family Milichiidae, probably genus Desmometopa). These flies always seem to appear seconds after a spider (or praying mantis) nails its prey. No dinner reservations required.
Other bees mark themselves "safe" from the crab spider. For now.
And life goes on. For the crab spider. For the freeloader flies.
![The resident crab spider nails a honey bee, as another bee continues to forage in the lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The resident crab spider nails a honey bee, as another bee continues to forage in the lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107822.jpg)
![A freeloader fly (family Milichiidae, probably genus Desmometopa), invites itself to dinner. No reservations required. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A freeloader fly (family Milichiidae, probably genus Desmometopa), invites itself to dinner. No reservations required. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107823.jpg)
![As the resident crab spider eats its prey, another honey bee arrives to forage on the lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) As the resident crab spider eats its prey, another honey bee arrives to forage on the lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107824.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
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)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107788.jpg)
![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)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107789.jpg)
![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)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/107790.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
So here's this crab spider stalking a katydid nymph foraging on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola.
Dinner awaits!
Suddenly a native bee, Melissodes agilis, lands next to the katydid and begins to sip some nectar.
Decisions, decisions! Do I want a juice katydid nymph or a tasty long-horned bee? Do I have a choice in the matter or does it matter if I have a choice?
A moment in time. Time in a moment. The bee, unaware of danger, continues to forage. Then, abruptly, the bee takes flight.
One menu choice remains.
It was a good day for the crab spider.
It was not a good day for the katydid.
![A crab spider is about to nail a katydid nymph when a longhorned bee, Melissodes agilis, appears on the Mexican sunflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A crab spider is about to nail a katydid nymph when a longhorned bee, Melissodes agilis, appears on the Mexican sunflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/99390.jpg)
![The longhorned bee, Melissodes agilis, continues to forage under the watchful eye of the crab spider. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The longhorned bee, Melissodes agilis, continues to forage under the watchful eye of the crab spider. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/99392.jpg)
![The longhorned bee turns aways from the crab spider, still unaware of the danger. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The longhorned bee turns aways from the crab spider, still unaware of the danger. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/99393.jpg)
![The crab spider hauls the struggling katydid nymph over the side of the Mexican sunflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The crab spider hauls the struggling katydid nymph over the side of the Mexican sunflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/99394.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
It was a tough day for a Tettigoniid on a Tithonia.
When a katydid (Tettigoniid) encountered a crab spider on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in our garden, the katydid didn't last long. The spider administered a venomous bite and it was all over. The small, aggressive predator dragged its large prey beneath the Mexican sunflower to consume its meal. The cycle of life...
Do you know how katydids got their nickname?
The males have stridulating organs on their forewings and produce a shrill sound interpreted as “Katy-did, Katy-didn't."
Well, in this case the crab spider did (survive to live another day) and the katydid didn't.
![A crab spider administers a fatal bite on a katydid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A crab spider administers a fatal bite on a katydid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/93167.jpg)
![The crab spider drags its prey to the edge of the Mexican sunflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The crab spider drags its prey to the edge of the Mexican sunflower. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/93168.jpg)
![The crab spider, hidden from the world around it, consumes the katydid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The crab spider, hidden from the world around it, consumes the katydid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/93169.jpg)
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Oh, the patience of a crab spider.
It lies in wait on the Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in the hot sun.
It scuttles back and forth, extending its legs. It's an ambush predator, ready to inject venom.
But it seems as if all the bees got the memo: "Crab spider! Beware! Don't buzz it! Don't go near it!"
And then a honey bee, seeking a little nectar and pollen, lands right beside it.
It's a moment in time between a predator and its prey.
The bee? It survived to live another day. The crab spider went hungry.
Just a morning in the life of a crab spider lying in wait on a Tithonia rotundifola.
![A crab spider on a Mexican sunflower is ready to ambush prey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A crab spider on a Mexican sunflower is ready to ambush prey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/92860.jpg)
![The crab spider scuttles back and forth. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) The crab spider scuttles back and forth. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/92861.jpg)
![A honey bee, seeking nectar and pollen, lands on the Mexican sunflower, unaware of the predator. It quickly buzzed off. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) A honey bee, seeking nectar and pollen, lands on the Mexican sunflower, unaware of the predator. It quickly buzzed off. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](/blogs/blogcore/blogfiles/92864.jpg)