SPIDERS No.36 – A Wasp Stung Orb Web Weaver

Walter Piorkowski · Post by **Walter Piorkowski** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 4:49 pm

Image 1
Olympus 10x S Plan Achromat 288 images at 2.5 micron increments.
Image 2
Leitz 4x Plan Fluorite 57 images at .002 inch increments.
Image 3
Leitz 2.5x Plan Achromat 50 images at .004 inch increments

Anesthetized, live ? subject.

For a second time last fall I came across a black wasp dragging a freshly stung and paralyzed orb web spider. It was in the process I assume of providing it to its soon to be hatched young. The spider in this state made an excellent subject for some stacked images. The wasp was detained for future study.

Leitz Ortholux microscope
4X Leitz projection eyepiece plus 1/3x relay lens
Canon 50D
Zerene PMax stacking.
Processing in Photoshop, Bibble Pro5

Walt

Mitch640 · Post by **Mitch640** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 4:46 am

Beautiful pictures Walter. Poor spider, she looks like she is trapped inside there and knows what is going on. I would like to know if she recovers from the sting.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 1:43 pm

Excellent work as always, Walt.

Do you still have the spider? If so, then is it still plump and moist, and how long has it been?

--Rik

Walter Piorkowski · Post by **Walter Piorkowski** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:51 pm

Hello Mitch, Rik. I agree Mitch that it looks so forlorn. Strange how we wish to transfer human attributes to such things.
Rik, the spider did remain pliable for some time but sorry, it was transfered to a vial of preserving fluid shortly after these images were taken. Hard to say how long it would have remained in a edible state.
Walt