prey photos on Flickr

You find a selection of my 80 BEST PHOTOS (mostly not yet on Flickr) here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/western-green-lizard-lacerta-bi... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)

ABOUT THIS PHOTO:

My garden may look like a peaceful green paradise to humans, but for the little creatures living in it it's a place where death may lurk behind every corner.

From time to time when I'm working in the garden or I'm just reading a book I hear a very distinct, loud buzzing that stands out as somewhat unusual among the many noises and sounds I hear during the day. By now I know what that sound is: it's the panicky, frantic buzzing of a European honeybee (Apis mellifera) that has fallen prey to a very distinguished predator: the flower crab spider (Misumena vatia).

The arachnid usually hides in flowers, patiently waiting for an unsuspecting insect; due to its ability to adapt its color to that of the flowers it hunts in it is almost invisible - and all the more deadly to its prey. This photo here is actually somewhat unusual because this crab spider didn't hunt in a flower but in the leaves of the vines that make up the roof of my veranda.

Once it had caught the bee it let itself fall into the empty space below, safely secured by two threads, to enjoy its meal undisturbed (and probably also in order not to become prey itself, namely of another predator like a lizard that might have been attracted by the victim's frantic buzzing ;-)

This scene may seem cruel to us (and I'm aware that - sadly - many people don't like spiders to begin with), but this is simply nature's way (and that bee didn't suffer long; compared to what we humans do to animals, the spider's way of killing its prey actually seems rather "humane" - even if that word sounds absurd in this context).

ABOUT THE SPECIES (from Wikipedia):

Misumena vatia is a species of crab spider with a holarctic distribution. It is called the goldenrod crab spider or flower (crab) spider, as it is commonly found hunting in goldenrot sprays and milkweed plants. They are called crab spiders because of their unique ability to walk sideways as well as forwards and backwards.

Females can grow up to 10 mm (0.39 in) while males are quite small, reaching 5 mm (0.20 in) at most. Misumena vatia may be yellow or white. This ultimately depends on the flower on which they are hunting. Younger females especially, which may hunt on a variety of flowers such as daisies and sunflowers, have a strong tendency to adapt to the color of the surrounding flower. However, the color-changing process is not instant and can require up to 25 days to complete.

They have a complex visual system, with eight eyes, that they rely on for prey capture and for their color-changing abilities. Sometimes, if Misumena vatia consume colored prey, the spider itself will take on that color.Misumena vatia feed on common insects, often consuming prey much larger than themselves. They use venom to immobilize their prey, though they are harmless to humans. They face threats due to parasites and larger insects.

For Misumena vatia, survival depends on the choice of hunting site. The spiders closely monitor multiple sites to see if others nearby are frequented by greater numbers of potential prey. Females are stationary and choose a flower to settle on while males cover great distances searching for mates. Females do not emit pheromones, rather, they leave "draglines" of silk behind them as they move, which males follow. Females live longer than males, on average. After mating, females guard their nests until the young have hatched, after which they die.

I don't want this text to get even longer, so I'll skip the info about the Eurpean honeybee (Apis Mellifera), but I encourage everyone to look it up or watch the documentary 'More Than Honey' from 2012; bees may seem a very familiar and common sight to us, but they are among the most important and fascinating creatures on the planet.

As I mentioned before, if people like these photos and are interested in other flora and fauna from my private jungle, I'll upload an insect or spider every once in a while between lizards, so let me know in the comments if you're interested in seeing more of these or if I should stick to just reptiles ;-)

As always, thank you so much for your interest and feedback, stay safe - and have a great week everyone!

Lacerta

Bird of prey - I love owls. by Arth Wen Photography and Imagery.

109 35

JUMPING SPIDER WITH PREY by Wellington Pracz

212 43

Bird of Prey by Rckr88

88 122

Kruger National Park, South Africa

Anhinga with prey by Mike_FL

113 33

Thanks for the visits, faves and comments its greatly appreciated.

Wakodahatchee Wetlands.

Bird of Prey by Nino Ventura

197 30

He watches over the city.... looking for his next prey....

Featuring items from Amias:

Mask - KURO Mask

Gloves - GORO Gacha Rare 2

Harness - HUGO Harness Rare

Cuffs - HUGO Wings Black

All items are available at Amias Mainstore

Taxi to Cravone

In the shadows

prey by Brigitte E

142 37

Silbermöwe mit Beute, einem kleinen Krebs.

Silver Gull with prey, a small crab.

prey by Iwon@

182 15

0O4A0652 by Jeff Sykes

56 34

Peregrine and prey by Steve_Waddingham

120 31

Peregrine Falcon eating it's kill

Eyeing its prey by Lisapia | coquille.

337 44

・Clothes

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / Inkosazana Top RARE

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / Inkosazana Bottom RARE

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / String Sandals / RED

・Accessories

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / Ngami Halo / RARE

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / Ritual Headdress

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / Ritual Jewelry / EARRING

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / Bracelets

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / Ritual Jewelry / NOSE PIERCINGS

・Nail

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / Wild Claws / WHITE

・Hair

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / Hairstyle / BROWN

・Tatoo

CUREMORE / Voodoo Tribe / Ritual Paint / WHITE

・Pose

original

Blog⇒~L.S.L~

Prey eating owl by Debby Limburg

62 22

...predator and prey by Jim Atkins Sr

184 12

A 3.175cm (1 .25") Praying Mantis eating a fly on a Gardenia jasminoides 'Kleim's Hardy' in my garden. These insects are notorious predators and their name is sometime mistakenly spelled ‘Preying Mantis’ which is incorrect.

Juvenile Bald Eagle feeding on prey by David Burt

78 26

Prey Spotted by Steve_Waddingham

118 28

Barn Owl ready to pounce on it's prey

An Evening With The Barn Owl by Steve_Waddingham

126 24

Barn Owl out early evening quartering the meadows

Otter, with prey by Kevin Robson

139 47

Otter with a crab supper, Isle of Mull

Searching for prey by WildAngleZ

72 22

Bonelli's Eagle - Jayamangali black buck sanctuary

Prey Spotted by Steve_Waddingham

96 26

Barn Owl in hunting mode, this one was sitting on a nearby post and must have heard something and then went investigate.

Falcon on Prey by Ian McGill

70 32

Another shot from a session with falconry birds put on by Roy Rimmer and Mick Hudson at Northwest Wildlife Workshops.

This shot has done well for me at the British Photography Exhibitions gaining four acceptances so far. Because they are captive birds I enter them in open colour rather than Nature.

I’m told this bird is a hybrid falcon, half American Kestrel, half Peregrine.

As always thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍

Waiting for a prey by Sergio

27 61

Prey lake by artupp

198 11

Indochina Preying Mantis by Charles Connor

144 33

Bird Of Prey by Allieca

160 43

with prey.

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) by Sonia Johnson