Goldenrod Spider (Misumena vatia) – I see the female plenty of times around the garden, but hardly ever the male. This one must have been real hungry perched on the edge of a petal trying to grab passing flies.
© Peter Hillman ♦ 20th May 2018 ♦ Rear garden, Staffordshire ♦ Nikon D7200
This mighty female crab spider (Misumena vatia) grabs itself a nice bee for lunch and these three little freeloader flies want their piece of it as well.
Feel free to click to enlarge and click again to get even closer … only if you really want to.
July 2019, local field, South Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
I have never seen anything quite like this before. A butterfly snared by a crab spider.
Feel free to click to enlarge and click again to get even closer.
July 2019, local field, South Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Click and click again on the image to get that little bit closer … only if you want to look her in her many eyes!
This is the crab spider Misumena vatia, and a lovely female on the edge of one of my flowerpots.
June 2019, rear garden, South Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
Click and click again on the image to get that little bit closer …
A sweat bee snared by a Goldenrod Spider (Misumena vatia). June 2019, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman.
I initially discovered this little Misumena vatia on the wallpaper near my living room window. This spider notoriously mimicks its background so it can fool and capture prey to feed on. I think it is the first time I have seen one with dark stripes on its back. I did the photo shoot outside.
Goldenrod Spider Misumena vatia, April 2018, rear garden, Staffordshire, England. © Pete Hillman
A juvenile Goldenrod Spider (Misumena vatia) posing on a rose, waiting for dinner to arrive within its deadly clutches.
September 2017, rear garden, Staffordshire, England.
Goldenrod Spider (Misumena vatia), found it on my Canadian Goldenrod this morning. It is one of my favourite spiders. Unfortuantely when I tried to take its picture on the Goldenrod it panicked and fell off, but I caught its silk strand and helped it to a brickwall to get these shots.
Front garden, Staffordshire, England. July 2017.
Our friend is here again, the Goldenrod Spider (Misumena vatia), in his (or I should say ‘her’) favourite spot on my Spotted Laurel bush at the bottom of the garden. She has another great catch, a flesh fly which looks about equal to her size. She didn’t like me getting too close though, for as I poked my lens nearer she slowy crept behind the leaf, hauling her prey with her out of sight. She obviously likes to dine in private.
Please click on the image for a more up close and personal look. Click again, if you have eaten, to move in just a little closer …
After patiently waiting and biding her time, this crab spider finally catches herself a meal as the fly was attracted to the sweetness of the shrubs flowers.
Goldenrod Spider (Misumena vatia), rear garden, Staffordshire, England. April 2017.
Now this crab spider is on the flowers of the Spotted Laurel. Please click image for a larger, more detailed view.
Goldenrod Spider (Misumena vatia), rear garden, Staffordshire, April 2017.
I have mentioned my Spotted Laurel (Aucuba japonica) before, and how it attracts flies and bees, and other insects as it is sited in a sunny position in my garden and the insects like to just bask under the sun, warming themselves. But just look at this spider, and see how it has tried to blend itself in with the leaf. This spider, the Goldenrod Spider (Misumena vatia), doesn’t need webs to capture its prey, but cunning and the ability to change colour, and a big pair of crab-like pincer legs.
What gets me is how it knows this is a chillzone for insects? Is it instinct? Genetic memory? Chance? Or maybe a mixture of factors? Maybe it is just basking in the sun itself. I don’t think so, because it had made itself small and blob like, until it sensed me doing his photo shoot session. Whatever it is, it is one crafty little devil.
Please click on images to enlarge.
Goldenrod Spider (Misumena vatia), rear garden, Staffordshire, April 2017.
Nature Journeys 