Spider prey become black goo - with a head sticking out
The stuff of nightmares ... or lunch?
This is looking close at (I believe) a large bottlecap-size Cat-Faced Spider (Araneus gemmoides, Araneidae), see my [Next] photo. This ball of black goo with a fly head sticking out of it is all that's left of the spider's capture. I've seen spiders turn their prey into balls of goo before, and I suspect it's a kind of external digestion to liquify their prey before sucking it up. I can't explain why the fly's head is the last part to go. (San Marcos Pass, 10 October 2016)
Spider prey become black goo - with a head sticking out
The stuff of nightmares ... or lunch?
This is looking close at (I believe) a large bottlecap-size Cat-Faced Spider (Araneus gemmoides, Araneidae), see my [Next] photo. This ball of black goo with a fly head sticking out of it is all that's left of the spider's capture. I've seen spiders turn their prey into balls of goo before, and I suspect it's a kind of external digestion to liquify their prey before sucking it up. I can't explain why the fly's head is the last part to go. (San Marcos Pass, 10 October 2016)