I typically see them feasting on flies or small bees, this is the first I've seen one feed on prey so much larger than itself. The spider is about dime size legs and all, and clearly a juvenile still. She is showing signs of becoming a master predator.
This pint-sized spider is a jumping spider of some sort, he was chowing down on a little gnat, or something equally as tiny.
Then another crab spider on some fleabane consuming a flower fly.
Then I came across a Daddy Longlegs feasting on a fly.... on the next plant over there was another Daddy Longlegs also feasting on what appeared to be the same species of fly.
It would appear it was a good night for the hunters....not so much for the HUNTED!
i love the little crab spiders!!! i found a lovely tiny lime green one today, hiding in my basil.. was that gnat the jumping spider was chowing on, an aphid? p.s. i want your lense!!! :D
ReplyDeleteI love them too, although I think jumping spiders are my all time favorite...they have the cutest faces. You know I didn't even think about that tiny bug being an aphid, but I bet you are right. It sure looks more like an aphid than a gnat. All I know for sure is it was TINY!
ReplyDeleteCute shot of that jumping spider having a little aphid lunch. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Meredith...I can't believe I didn't realize that was a aphid it was eating. I'm glad roasted garlic pointed it out that it could be. I just love the little jumpers.
ReplyDeleteThat first crab spider...woah! That's quite the catch! Crab spiders are definitely ingenious hunters. I was taking down a malaise trap yesterday (designed to catch flying insects like flies, wasps etc.), and tucked up in the second-highest peak was a little crab spider with its fly snack...clever critter, it must have been feasting up there!
ReplyDeleteI know Geek they really are remarkable aren't they. I find them at our porch lights at night feasting on the insects that are attracted to the lights there. This is the first time I've seen one take such large prey though, it was an impressive sight for sure.
ReplyDeleteThe crab spiders are good at disguise also. See them all over. Had to race into town after something stung me on the lip yesterday.Been out at Lake Red Rock all week.
ReplyDeleteDid you figure out what stung you?
ReplyDeleteits not a daddy longlegs. daddy long legs bodies are round and they only have four legs and are usually a solid color. this spider's body is oblong, pointed and mottled in color, and you can clearly see eight legs.
ReplyDeleteAlso, daddy longlegs fangs are too small for this size prey. A spider that can easily be confused with the grandaddy longlegs is the cobweb spider. which is very similar in structure to the spider depicted here.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I appreciate your interest in this blog post, but I must disagree with your opinion that the "daddy longlegs" pictured here isn't a daddy longlegs. It is most definitely a Daddy-longs. I've been playing with these spiders since I was a child...and I am 43 now. These are one of the easiest to recognize creatures that call Missouri home. Yes, they do have 8 legs, I know of no spider or relative to a spider that only has 4 legs. There are some spiders with 6 legs, but two on each side is something I have never seen...could u send a picture? While they do not have typical fangs like other spiders, they do have specially adapted pedipalps and mouth parts that allow them to feel what they are about to eat and they "chew" their food rather than sucking up juices like other spiders do. They are not spiders, but rather Opiliones which are related to spiders. Their bodies are not round like a circle, they are oblong like an oval. Visit this website: http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html
ReplyDeleteThey dispel some of the myths about these creatures and give a good description of them.
I have cobweb spiders in my basement, and they come no where near the size of this spider. Daddy longlegs are HUGE by comparison. There is a great closeup image here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/371580 of the facial structure of the daddy longs...and the mouthparts.
I actually meant to say there are no spiders with less than 8 legs, event their relatives have 8 legs. There are however spiders that APPEAR To have 6 legs. Either this is from an injury where they lost two legs, or some spiders carry their two front legs out in front of their bodies and use them as "feelers" and this gives the illusion that the spider has 6 legs.
ReplyDeleteI agree, MoBugs. Your daddy longlegs, a.k.a. harvestman, a.k.a. opilonid, is not a spider. It is a fellow arachnid, but in a different order called Opiliones. (Spiders are in order Araneae.)
ReplyDeleteOpilionids are differentiated by numerous characteristics, but the most obvious one is the conspicuous segmentation of the abdomen (lacking in all but one very ancient spider lineage not found in Missouri). Harvestman also lack venom or silk glands, and have quite differently structured visual, food processing and digestive, reproductive, and breathing apparatus. The two groups are, roughly speaking, about as closely related as are rabbits and lions -- both mammals, but in very distinct groups within the mammals. I hope "Anonymous" will see this and view it as a learning opportunity.
Thanks James, After rereading what I wrote I confused myself. I need to remember to stop calling these daddy-longlegs spiders. Old habits are hard to break and opiliones is hard to say..LOL I would seriously like to see an image of the (4) legged spider he has seen.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures and excellent write-ups! I recently found a colony of white crab spiders among my garden which is blooming with white tiny flowers. I was wondering what are those (I thought they're actually crabs!) and found your blog. BTW, I'm from Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteIs there a way to submit a pic of a bug for identification?
ReplyDeletemaqui4240@gmail.com
You can send your pictures to MOpiggys@aol.com
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