Spider vs. Wasp 0:1 - Round 1 (46 sec) K.O.

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:22 am

... attacking...

Camera model Olympus SP-320
Date/time 16.08.2006/14:16:39
Exposure time 1/640 s
F-number f/5.6
ISO 64
Focal length 8 mm

... biting...

Camera model Olympus SP-320
Date/time 16.08.2006/14:16:44
Exposure time 1/640 s
F-number f/5.6
ISO 64
Focal length 8 mm

... Knockout! Ater 46 seconds spider is on his back!

Camera model Olympus SP-320
Date/time 16.08.2006/14:17:25
Exposure time 1/400 s
F-number f/2.8
ISO 64
Focal length 8 mm

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:31 am

Cool sequence tho I have to admit I was hoping the spider would win(Im a bit of an Arachnophile!)
A lot of people who keep spiders sometimes catch wasps to feed to them to watch the fight, which isnt really recommended because as you can see here, the spider doesnt always win!

This is a wilderness shot yes?

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:58 am

Nikola, I don`t know what to say....Super shots......at the right place and the right time, your one lucky dude

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:45 pm

Cyclops wrote: This is a wilderness shot yes?

Yes it is! Not in a captivity. As wasp was attacker, my sympathy was on spider's side also. To make you comfort I can tell you that spider was fighting bravely.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:57 pm

MacroLuv wrote: To make you comfort I can tell you that spider was fighting bravely.

Oh I have no doubt it was! I keep spiders myself and I know how they can be!

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 1:09 pm

beetleman wrote:Nikola, I don`t know what to say....Super shots......at the right place and the right time, your one lucky dude

Thank you Doug!

Yes, this summer vacation I was very lucky. But, also I spent many hours a day walking around.

teva · Post by **teva** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 1:59 pm

Great capture. I sure would like to visit all those places you shoot at.
Since were from neighborhood country you could say a word or two about the good locations for macro. I see you have all kind of mantis there.

tnx for sharing
teva

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 3:37 pm

teva wrote:Great capture. I sure would like to visit all those places you shoot at.
Since were from neighborhood country you could say a word or two about the good locations for macro. I see you have all kind of mantis there.

tnx for sharing
teva

Hi neighbour!

I can highly recommend almost all Croatian Adriatic Isles as great locations for macro. I have some plans to visit Cres in future.
All my 06/2006 and 08/2006 photos are from Prvic isle.
A plenty of time and patience is the key.

Carl_Constantine · Post by **Carl_Constantine** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 6:14 pm

I'm stunned. Super shots Nikola. I wouldn't think this would happen from a wasp bite. I can imagine if it were a wasp sting mind you. Very interesting.

What kind of spider is that? It looks like a tarantula, but I'm not up on my spiders. What's also interesting to me is the type of wasp(s) in your shots. They have an interesting color range to them. Out here in the northwest of Canada/USA boarder, our wasps are more just yellow and black. Is there a particular species/genus for these. They are interesting.

A few years ago (a few, ha, like 12 year ago now), My wife and I lived in the bottom of a apartment. We had some wolf spiders. Some of which died on the patio. We watched wasps come by, chew of a leg or so of the dead spider, and fly off with them. Food for the young? nest building? don't know, but found it very interesting.

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 4:40 am

I'm not sure about kind of wasp and spider. It could be tarantula and some kind of spider wasp. Spider wasps hunts spiders and actually do not kill. They capture, often following a dramatic battle, sting and paralyze the spider.The spider is alive and paralyzed and will become food for the young wasp. The female wasp will provision a nest with spiders that are stung and paralyzed and then lay an egg. The egg hatches and begins to feed on the still living spider, a fresh food source. I saw wasp dragging this spider into the bush.

salden · Post by **salden** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 4:47 am

I wanted the spider to win too. Nice captures and sometimes you are just in the right place, but you also have to have the ability to capture the moment and you did an excellent job.

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:53 am

Where is Ken

....I bet you he didn`t want the spider to win

Here is a link to our Tarantula Hawks the live out in the deserts of the southwest USA
http://www.desertusa.com/mag01/sep/papr/thawk.html

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:45 pm

Wasps are cool man, real cool

From now on its be kind to Wasp Month, every month.

Great shots Nikola, you did really good on this series of images.

Gordon C. Snelling · Post by **Gordon C. Snelling** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:21 pm

I love the sequence. The spider is a wolf spider of some sort. Not sure about the wasp but will see what I can find out.

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 12:39 am

Thanks for comments, folks!

I was suspicious about tarantula spider. I've tried to ID wasp among Polistinae subfamily but without success. My wasp has characteristic brownish spot above first abdomen stripe and long curly antennae.

I think it is of the same kind as on my earlier post.