A predator becomes prey

 Spiders are deadly predators. They use a variety of methods to catch their prey. The ones sitting on their webs waiting for something to be caught in the sticky web are the most well known. This gigantic Nephila pilipes, or the Northern Golden Orb Weaver is one such sit-and-wait species that builds large webs. Other species and tiny males of the species are parasitic on the webs of the large females, eating up prey that the female bundles up in a web and stores for future feeding.

Also a sit-and-wait predator, this Hersilia, or the Two-tail Spider, dispenses with building a web. It is superbly well camouflaged on the bark of trees where it waits for prey sitting upside-down. As an insect or another prey wanders by, the spider spins a web around it by running round and round the prey until it is unable to move. The spider then, as seen in the photo below, moves in and bites the prey injecting it with a poison that incapacitates it. The poison also dissolves the innards of the prey allowing the spider to suck out the juices at leisure.

Then there are the wandering spiders that roam around looking for prey, like this handsome Plexippus paykulli, also called the Pantropical Jumping Spider - a species commonly seen in gardens and homes.  

One sit-and-wait spider that is incredibly attractive is the group collectively called the Crab Spiders because of their overall appearance. These spiders come in a variety of colours matching flowers on which they sit awaiting insects that come for nectary and pollen. Several of these Crab Spiders lived on the Rangoon Creeper vine-gone-wild Swati and I grew in our tiny garden in Udaipur. 

One evening, we noticed struggling movement on one of the buds. It was a black-and-white hoverfly that appeared to be floating in the bunch of flowers. Hoverflies are also called Flower Flies and adults feed on nectar and pollen of flowers. A ghostly form skulked behind the struggling fly. It was a lovely white-and-pink Crab Spider that had successfully caught itself a large meal.

The spider was surprisingly small given the size of the hoverfly it had grabbed and vanquished. The struggling of the fly died down and the spider proceeded to bite into its belly and began feeding. After several minutes, we watched the limp and empty body of the hoverfly drop from the flowers as the Crab Spider let go after having its fill. The spider then proceeded to clean itself before again positioning itself below a new flower.

 
We had barely begun admiring the Crab Spider's skills when there was a very rapid jumping movement towards the Crab Spider. Before it could move, it was in the jaws of a new predator that had been quietly roaming around, perhaps even watching the drama that had unfolded. The new predator was a species of jumping spider quite royally named Thyene imperialis.

Despite being smaller than the Crab Spider, the bite of the Thyene imperialis appeared to have an almost instant effect. The Crab Spider appeared to crumple and was taken around quite effortlessly by the new predator. Thyene positioned itself to get away from our prying eyes and even dangled the Crab Spider over leaves as it jumped away with its fresh food. 

Thyene imperialis is reputed to be a very effective predator, even jumping into webs to grab spiders waiting for prey. The Crab Spider really had no chance once it had been spotted. Even the most well camouflaged and careful of predators can become prey in a trice.

The variety of spider species and behaviours is rather vast. I have no doubt that there will be other blog posts on these eight-legged wonders.

(Photographs' location and dates:

Nephila pinipes: 12 Jan 2024, Goa.

Hersilia: 15 May 2024, Vaccine Depot Grounds, Belgaum.

Plexippus paykulli: 08 September 2023, Tilakwadi, Belgaum.

Crab Spider and Thyene imperialis: 04 December 2022, Govardhan Vilas, Udaipur.)