Sunday, May 19, 2013

Ambush

Goldenrod Crab Spider
When they think of spiders most people think of webs. Charlotte and scary spider movies have helped to reinforce the link between spiders and webs in the public consciousnesses. However not all spiders spin elaborate webs to catch their prey. The goldenrod crab spider is a good example. The goldenrod crab uses camouflage to ambush its prey. It is able to change its color between white and yellow so that it can blend in to a flower where it can wait for prey. When the skipper comes in to the flower to collect nectar and/or pollen the spider attacks, injecting its prey with a paralyzing venom. 



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What an amazing photo and I learned something =)

DeniseinVA said...

I enjoyed learning about this interesting spider. Great shot and thank you for sharing with Today's Flowers.