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earthstar

~ a celebration of nature

earthstar

Tag Archives: spider stalking prey

The spider and the fly

25 Sunday Mar 2018

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bluebottle fly, British flies, British spiders, Calliphora sp, jumping spider, Salticus scenicus, spider and fly, spider stalking prey, Zebra spider

180325 spider and fly (3)

“Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple — there’s a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!”
~ from ‘The Spider and the Fly’, a poem by Mary Howitt, 1828

180325 spider and fly (1)
180325 spider and fly (2)

I’m not sure what the fly is (probably one of the Calliphora species) but its stalker is a Zebra spider (Salticus scenicus), a very common jumping spider that can be found, as this one was at Sully last week, sneaking up on its prey on sunny rocks and walls.
And what do you think happened next?

180325 spider and fly (4)

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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