The Man Behind the Woman - _TNY_5057 (1.8x)
Say goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia) and most who recognize the species think of a white or yellow or light green (yes, they can change colour) spider which likes to ambush insects from flowers.
What everybody doesn't know though is that all of those are females and that the male goldenrod crab spider not only looks quite different, but is also considerably smaller.
Here is a male which has caught and is in the process of eating what I believe is some sort of root-maggot fly (Anthomyiidae sp.). It's sitting on the cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) near the Nedre Dammen pond at Stensjödal in Tyresta National Park. As this was one of those days when I kept finding more and more cool stuff just because - the red backdrop is supplied by a minstrel bug (Graphosoma lineatum), also known as the striped shield bug or Italian striped bug (presumably a fan of AC Milan then).
Cow parsley is the host plant for that shield bug and there were loads of them there but also several female goldenrod crab spiders which explains why the male spider was there.
Shot using the Canon MP-E65mm at 1.8:1 magnification.
The Man Behind the Woman - _TNY_5057 (1.8x)
Say goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia) and most who recognize the species think of a white or yellow or light green (yes, they can change colour) spider which likes to ambush insects from flowers.
What everybody doesn't know though is that all of those are females and that the male goldenrod crab spider not only looks quite different, but is also considerably smaller.
Here is a male which has caught and is in the process of eating what I believe is some sort of root-maggot fly (Anthomyiidae sp.). It's sitting on the cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) near the Nedre Dammen pond at Stensjödal in Tyresta National Park. As this was one of those days when I kept finding more and more cool stuff just because - the red backdrop is supplied by a minstrel bug (Graphosoma lineatum), also known as the striped shield bug or Italian striped bug (presumably a fan of AC Milan then).
Cow parsley is the host plant for that shield bug and there were loads of them there but also several female goldenrod crab spiders which explains why the male spider was there.
Shot using the Canon MP-E65mm at 1.8:1 magnification.