This was absolutely not what I planned to post today. I had thought more about a shot from the golf course today. However, I was sitting in the garden yesterday afternoon, between rain showers, and went to have a look at this plant which was flowering for the first time this year. I was completely surprised to spot this very well camouflaged spider scoffing this poor, I hope already dead, bee. I say bee, not wasp, because of the pollen on his legs - I think I'm right. Not sure what the flies were up to! Anyway, I thought it was fascinating, so rushed for the camera. It's certainly more interesting than just another shot from a golf course! By the way, you really get the gory details when viewed on black.
Amazing. And yes, more powerful on black. How you saw this is amazing. The spider I brilliantly camouflaged. Your capture is brilliant as well. Super crisp. The comp is so wonderful that I didn't realize at first blush.
This is a brilliant capture indeed. So well spotted and photographed. Thanks for sharing this great picture. By the way it's a crab spider (Misumena vatia).These spiders may be white or yellow, depending on the flower in which they are hunting. Especially younger females, which may hunt on a variety of flowers such as daisis and sunflowers, may change colour "at will".
Oh my goodness!!! I have taken ages to see the spider. A white one!!!! Wonderful capture. Just fantastic. I am a bee keeper, and yes, it is a bee. Fav.
@zeezee Thanks for the kind comments and the confirmation that is indeed a bee, not a wasp! As a bee keeper, have you read the book 'The Bees' by Laline Paull? If so, I'd be interested to know what you thought. I loved the imagery of inside the bee hive and the insight into the different bees' roles - inside and outside the hive.
@jamibann HI . No, I haven't read that book but I will certainly look for it now!! Sounds fascinating. Thank you. Bees are the most amazing creatures and we all have to start thinking about them more, or we are doomed. For those not wanting to actually have a hive or 2, you can all help by planting trees and plants with flowers for food for them, then we all help to keep them happy. Amen. lol :)
A crab spider bite may be poisonous but not poisonous enough to harm humans. The crab spider uses its bite to hunt for food and kill its prey prior to sucking it dry. ------ Super capture, seeing his legs still with pollen, I'm thinking he just met his demise.
@LaLa More interesting information that I did not know. Thanks for that ... we did actually surmise, upon looking at the 'action', that the bee was being sucked dry - it looked exactly like that! Eeeeuw!
