The Crab Spider and the
Narrow-winged
Midget Moth
Thomisidae and Tarache
augustipennis
When you see a moth hanging in mid air it's kind of an
indication that something must be holding it. This crab
spider, hiding in the shadow of the sunflower leaves, nabbed just one
of many of these Narrow-winged Midget
moths that I found on Antelope Island this day. I used the flash
to capture these photos. © Carol Davis, 9-15-2010
Because of the large number of these moths on sunflower, I'm
assuming that this is their plant of choice
for egg-laying but I'm no expert. The crab spiders were out in
full force just waiting for a chance to nab
an unsuspecting insect like this moth. You
can see he has sunk his fangs into its body.
© Carol Davis, 9-15-2010
These moths lay around on the sunflower leaves, either
resting or getting ready to lay eggs. This makes them an
easy target and also hard to photograph since they are on alert for
spiders and other preying insects. They really
are beautiful little moths with that rich brown color tinged with
yellow and cream. © Carol Davis,
9-15-2010
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