This afternoon I discovered a little White-banded Crab Spider (Misumenoides formosipes) enjoying a late lunch consisting of very large meal, a Tachinid Fly (Tachinidae). The White-banded Crab Spider uses its two front pairs of legs to capture its prey and then bite it, injecting venom to disable its meal. Its strong legs and use of venom allows it to capture insects that, like this Tachinid Fly, are much larger than the spider.
A spider that doesn’t build a web, but a spider that will find a spot among flowers to sit and wait for its meal to arrive. Sit and ambush.
This action took place in a garden filled with Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens) which I enjoy because of the variety of interesting pollinators that it draws.
2 responses to “Big Meal For Little Spider”
What do you use your apple mint for?
Hi Bonnie, the apple mint is a plant that I use to attract an interesting bunch of pollinators, and for teaching my little granddaughter that she can eat a few of the plants that are in the gardens.
Thanks bunches for reading my posts!
Sending hugs!
Bren