Jumping spider with dinner

[Ecooper]

Last weekend I was enjoying the beautiful weather by preparing a nice BBQ dinner for the family. We had just sat down at the table (out on the deck) when my youngest son pointed out a “spider carrying another spider” (as he put it) on one of the deck posts. It turned out to be a juvenile Phiddipus jumping spider feeding on another spider (possibly a philodromid crab spider). Naturally I wanted to take some photos, but I opted to eat first and shoot later. So we all had dinner together: the humans ate sockeye salmon, nugget potatoes roasted in herbs and olive oil, Caesar salad, corn and a crisp white wine (yum!); while the arachnid feasted on its hapless cousin (tentatively identified as a philodromid crab spider).

Somewhat surprisingly the spider was still there when we finished eating (it even waited while I did the dishes)…

Photographed with an Olympus OM-D E-M5, Zuiko 6omm micro 4/3 macro lens and 16mm + 10mm extension tubes.

Cheers,
EC
macrocritters | What's a nice bug like you doing in a place like this??


P5110417 jumping spider feeding on spider prey copyright ernie cooper 2014 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr


P5110377 new jumping spider feeding on spider copyright ernie cooper 2014 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr

 

[The_Traveler]

These photos make a nice case for that lens.
Nicely shot.