Wasp spider with prey
Lucy was taking macro shots of this wasp spider sitting on her web, when the spider suddenly dashed off to one side. Something had been caught on the web and in a flash she was cocooning it in silk. I was alongside and fired off a few frames, and was lucky enough to get one in focus!
If you [Z]oom in you can just about see the black and yellow abdomen of the prey. Seconds later, amazingly it managed to get free! I think it was probably a digger wasp or a Nomada bee but it didn't hang around for an ID shot!
Spider watchers will know what happened next. She calmly bundled up the cocoon and ate it - that much protein is too important to waste!
Wasp spider with prey
Lucy was taking macro shots of this wasp spider sitting on her web, when the spider suddenly dashed off to one side. Something had been caught on the web and in a flash she was cocooning it in silk. I was alongside and fired off a few frames, and was lucky enough to get one in focus!
If you [Z]oom in you can just about see the black and yellow abdomen of the prey. Seconds later, amazingly it managed to get free! I think it was probably a digger wasp or a Nomada bee but it didn't hang around for an ID shot!
Spider watchers will know what happened next. She calmly bundled up the cocoon and ate it - that much protein is too important to waste!