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Expected encounter?


Expected encounter?
Photo Information
Copyright: Lukasz Warcholinski (Kaszek) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 246 W: 58 N: 390] (1451)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-08-15
Categories: Spiders
Camera: Canon EOS 30 D, Canon EF 50mm f1.8 MkII, RAW ISO 400, Kenko ext. tubes 12+20+36mm
Exposure: f/18.0, 1/100 seconds
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): My Purple Obsession 2 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-08-18 0:50
Viewed: 1137
Points: 16
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hello!
Today not rare visitor on TN, but I think this scene is quite strange.
Look at rear leg of the spider. What is it???

Misumena vatia

Geographic Range

Crab spiders occur all around the world, but Misumena vatia is only found in North America and Europe (Anaconda II 1998; Kaston and Kaston 1956)

Habitat

This type of spider is terrestrial and is known to be found on fences, vegetation, and on flowers like trillium, white fleabane, white flower, and goldenrod. (Comstock 1965)

M.vatia resembles a crab, for its body is short, wide, and flattened. The first two pairs of legs are larger than the hind legs and held open -- the spider uses them to grab its prey. Females are 6 to 9 mm long, males are smaller: 3 to 4 mm. The female is light colored -- the carapace and legs are white or yellow with darker sides, and sometimes dark reddish markings on the abdomen. The male is darker over all: the carapace is a red to reddish brown with a white spot in the middle ascending to the eye area. The first and second legs are reddish brown, the third and fourth are yellow. The male also has a pair of dorsal and lateral parallel bands of red with a white background. The jaws of this spider are small and slender, and contain venom.

Behavior

Crab spiders easily walk sideways and backwards as well as forward.
They do not spin webs, and only use their silk to protect their eggs.
This species will change its color to match the background it is hiding on, usually a flower. It sits on a flower or on the ground and waits for its prey to pass and uses its front legs to grasp it. It uses its small fangs to inject its prey with venom, which immobilizes its prey. It does not wrap its prey with silk but instead holds it's prey until it sucks all of its bodily fluids dry. (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 1997, Comstock 1965)

Food Habits

This spider feeds on invertebrates. It hunts on the ground or on vegetation, and it is able to attack larger insects then itself because of its venom. Some of the insects it feeds on are flies, butterflies, grasshoppers, and especially bees. This species often hides on a flower, and ambushes insects that land there. (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 1997, Anaconda II 1998)

Predation

The main defense of this species is camouflage. It can bite other invertebrates, but that doesn't help against larger animals. Its fangs are too short and its venom is too weak.
Seabird, red45, Janice, liziafa, marhowie, ramthakur, Miss_Piggy, gannu has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi, Lukasz,

a timely and interesting capture! haha, if one hasn't looked close enough, one would have thought that the spider has just broken part of its front leg (with the dropped part on the petal = insect). thanks for sharing.

chrs,
Man Yee

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2008-08-18 1:23]

O fak...tycznie! Takiego czegos jeszcze nie widzialem w zyciu. Niesamowita scena. Jakis dziwaczny fan nogi. Ciekawe czy to jakis pasozyt czy moze 'czysciciel' jak te ptaki i ryby wyjadajace pasozyty z wiekszych zwierzat. A moze to przypadkowy przechodzien? Od razu mi sie Deeno nasunal na mysl, ale nic nie dodam :-)

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2008-08-18 1:32]

I've learnt a lot about Crab Spiders on TN - it's quite a fighter / killer!!
Looks good on the pink petals, and nice and clear to see.
But would that insect on his leg be the same type as the that little insect on the petal? Who's going to win?
TFS
JAnice

Witaj,
Wooow piękny okaz!!!
Bardzo ciekawie go wykadrowałeś i nawet inny robaczek załapał się na sesję zdjęciową ;)
Kolejne bardzo dobre zdjęcie Pozdrawiam i czekam na następne Małgosia

Hi Lukasz,
I like the POV, good details & comp.
The dark BG serves well to highlight the light color of your spider here mf.
Well done,
Howard

Hello Lukasz,
It is good to hear from you after a long gap. Thanks for your kind words on my picture of a Beetle. I am late in reciprocating because I had gone on a short holiday last week.
Yes, I see the second subject on the rear leg of this Crab Spider. It is strange to see this little bug sticking to a formidable predator!
The image is excellent in every respect. The purple flower makes a lovely contrast in colours.
Thanks and regards.
-Ram

Hallo Lukasz
This is an amazing macro with splendid details and great sharpness. You did well with the capture of this almost white spider, with its gollywog legs. I just love the colour of the surface you have captured this guy on, as it is not only my favourite colour but it also highlights the details of the spider splendidly. Well done, I think this is a great image, and I have added it to my personal theme "My purple obsession". Thanks for sharing.
Kind regards.
Anna

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1169 W: 4 N: 3262] (14691)
  • [2008-08-19 8:46]

Hello Lukasz, I observed it after reading your note. Well shot and a nice information and good combination. Ganesh

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