The food chain by jamibann

The food chain

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.
June 12th, 2016  
The spider blends in so well. Well spotted and captured.
June 12th, 2016  
Lovely capture. Great detail.
June 12th, 2016  
Brilliant slice of nature.
June 12th, 2016  
Gorgeous, fav
June 12th, 2016  
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".
June 12th, 2016  
This really is terrific against black. What a great things to come upon - love watching nature in action.
June 12th, 2016  
I love the composition here, and the lovely whites setting off the bee.
June 12th, 2016  
Certainly shows nature at work.. poor bee... getting picked on..
June 12th, 2016  
Awesome closeup
June 12th, 2016  
Looks like mummy spider is ready to pop too! Great capture.
June 12th, 2016  
Wonderful macro.
June 12th, 2016  
@mona65 Thank you so much for that information. What a fascinating thing - I never knew!
June 12th, 2016  
Wow! This is absolutely amazing! A spectacular find and beautifully captured! Fav for sure! :-)
June 12th, 2016  
Bep
Wonderful close up. Fav.
June 12th, 2016  
Bee-utiful :)
June 12th, 2016  
Great macro beautiful fav
June 13th, 2016  
Great close up Issi!
June 13th, 2016  
excellent. that white spider is quite well camoflaged
June 13th, 2016  
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.
June 13th, 2016  
@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.
June 13th, 2016  
@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 :)
June 13th, 2016  
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.
June 13th, 2016  
@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!
June 14th, 2016  
@zeezee Do read it and tell me what you think - it's written from the point of view of a worker bee and I thought it was a lovely novel.
June 14th, 2016  
Such an interesting shot & story! & a very unusual looking spider. Well spotted & captured.
June 15th, 2016  
Absolutely fantastic shot. I struggle to get the depth of field that you've achieved here. Nicely done.
August 2nd, 2016  
@artd Thank you. My 100 mm macro lens. But I did set up the tripod as nothing was going anywhere fast. Gave me a sharper image.
August 2nd, 2016  
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