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Dance With Me Baby


Dance With Me Baby
Photo Information
Copyright: Ram Thakur (ramthakur) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2921 W: 107 N: 7368] (23889)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-21
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon D200, Sigma EX 105mm F2.8 DG Macro, 58mm UV
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/250 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-06-22 19:19
Viewed: 355
Points: 36
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Crab Spider in Action

I saw this action taking place on a young tree laden with yellow flowers this Saturday during my outing to Guragaon.
The tree was humming with all sorts of insects, especially bees. It was during my effort to shoot the bees that I chanced upon this drama. I noticed that spiders lay hidden inside the flowers and pounced on any insect alighting on the flower they occupied.
It was a quick action which I was able to record in this macro because both the spider and the winged insects were very small.
Hope you like it.

Crab spiders make up the Thomisidae family of the Araneae order. They are called crab spiders because they resemble crabs, with two front pairs of legs angled outward and bodies that are flattened and often angular. Also, like crabs, Thomisidae can move sideways or backwards. They are very maneuverable in tight places.

Crab spiders do not build webs to trap prey. They are hunters and ambushers. Some species sit on or among flowers, bark, fruit or leaves where they grab visiting insects. Misumena vatia is one of these. It can change its color between white and yellow to match the flower it sits on. Other species, with their flattened bodies, hunt in the crevices of tree trunks or under loose bark. Members of the genus Xysticus hunt in the leaf litter on the ground. In each case, crab spiders use their powerful front legs to grab and hold onto prey while paralyzing it with a venomous bite.

The spider family Aphantochilidae was incorporated into the Thomisidae in the late 1980s. Aphantochilus species mimic Cephalotes ants, on which they prey.

The spiders of Thomisidae are not known to be harmful to humans. Spiders of an unrelated genus, Sicarius, also resemble crabs (and are sometimes referred to as "crab spiders"). Sicarius spiders, close cousins to the recluse spiders, are highly venomous.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_spider

TFL.
Pentaxfriend, Jamesp, eng55, nirmalroberts, zulfu, aes_thor, mayuresh, sranjan, eqshannon, Miss_Piggy, jaycee, fartash, goldyrs has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Ram,

Lovely Macro shot
Perfect compo with Great sharpness and Superb colors

TFS Thijs

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1179 W: 0 N: 4496] (13404)
  • [2008-06-22 22:40]

Hi Ram

Great action shot here my friend. The framing here is really good - the spider is razor sharp and seems to be cradling the fly in a 'kiss of death'. Lovely vibrant colours too.

James

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2792 W: 75 N: 7805] (26093)
  • [2008-06-22 23:05]

Hello Ram!

I like your title :-) Poor bee and happy spider. Good action picture, very detailed and sharp. Yellow BG looks nice.

  • Great 
  • eng55 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 349 W: 3 N: 375] (1115)
  • [2008-06-22 23:22]

Hi Ram,
Scary scane.Well caught and composed.POV,details,colors and framing are excellent.
Thanks for posting.

Hi Ram,
The poor thing is gone, and you are expecting it to dance !
Very nice picture. Great sharpness.
Thanks for sharing.
- Nirmal

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2340 W: 164 N: 7010] (22194)
  • [2008-06-23 0:54]

Hello Ram,
What a fine macro of this Crab spider with its prey. I like your title - reminds me also of Strindberg's 'The Dance of Death'! Excellent focus and impressive sharp details.
Beautiful yellow flower (Mimulus?)as a background too.
Many thanks and regards, Ulla

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 455 W: 0 N: 69] (488)
  • [2008-06-23 1:23]

Hello Ram, wonderful predator-prey shot. Great one. TFS. Regards,
Mehmet

Hi Ram,
very nice shot- excellent sharpness, white spider looks great on this yellow flower. Good DOF.
cheers
Adrian

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 815 W: 4 N: 2028] (9554)
  • [2008-06-23 3:25]

Hello Sir, The yellow vs white vs black. Superb combination and just attacking color. Excellent vibration and clarity. Ganesh

Hello Ram Sir,
Superb exposure and splendid macro shot with great sharpness,you have capture very exellent moment on vibrant yellow colour which is very tough.
TFS.

Hi Ram

Great action shot. Good sharpness and composition.

Chris

Dear Ram Sir,
It is a great candid shot of this crab spider in action with juicy insect in chelicerae. Time for my dinner too :)
Regards-Subhash

Dance with me baby? Sounds like Humphrey Bogart lines from an old black and white movie:-) Or perhaps if projected further into the future...and with a flare for the drama in images and words..you have created a horror flick! and yet it is simply a part of the cycle of life in both insects...and humans as well...although we tend to judge our 'kills' in political ways way too much. Very nicely seen in it's natural state.
Bob

Hallo Ram
What a brilliant shot. A beautiful close-up with excellent sharpness, and most delightful view. The details of both the flower and the spider are just eye-catching and I cannot really say the one is better than the other. But maybe the spider wins with a few points. What a luck shot.But not so lucky for the prey. You have been at the right spot at the right time. The combination of colours and the detail on the flower is great. A most appealing and bright and sunny sight. You have used the light well, emphasizing the golden threads within the flower. Thanks for sharing. I appreciated this one very much.
Kind regards
Anna

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1657 W: 8 N: 4252] (13851)
  • [2008-06-23 9:02]

Hi Ram,

Wonderful macro of the action taking place on the petal. You caught it at just the right moment with the spider wrapping his arms around the fly. Great timing and superb details.

Jane

Dear Ram
Very intersting shot of this Crab Spider,
Perfect focusing,exposure and BG.Welldone.

Regards
Fartash

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1554 W: 233 N: 5217] (18329)
  • [2008-06-24 7:30]

Good close-up of this Crab Spider and its meal.
I love the yellow tones and bright light.
Excellent POV.
DOF is a bit shallow but you've focused on the right areas.
Superb sharpness.

Well done, Ram!

Joe

What an apt title, Sir!
Very beautiful shot!
I have miles to go before I reach this level of perfection, sir!
Goldy

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