Sunday 31 January 2010

Catch Of The Day!

Everything was still and quiet at the pond when I got there this morning but as soon as the sun breaks through over the hills, the surroundings came alive.

A sudden movement among the grasses caught my attention. 

It was a dragonfly that had gotten itself caught in a spider's web and was struggling frantically to get away.  The spider was very quick to start spinning its silk rapidly around one of the dragonfly's wings to subdue it.

 

 

At first, the dragonfly struggled and tried to fly and it kept trying to break free, but the spider's hold on it was strong.  The spider held on to the wing and kept spinning its silk around it relentlessly until it was certain the dragonfly would not be going anywhere.  After a while, having expended its energy, the dragonfly gave up and accepted its fate. 

 

 

It was a young, immature Diplacodes trivialis that had fallen prey to the spider.  It will not see the next day-break but the spider is now assured of a meal and its continued existence.

 

 

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