The stealthy assassin

[Prajwal J Ullal]

ID: Crab spider in marigold flower

One of the most vibrant flora, usually seen in the house gardens in my native place, and probably at most places, the beautiful blossom seemed to have a pretty stealthy assassin in form of the tiny(2-3mm) crab spider. Blending in well with the orange hue of the flower, the predator awaits patiently along the petal, mostly towards the central area, to catch hold of any unsuspecting prey and in case it senses any danger, it sneaks back into the depth of the petals, staying safe and away from the danger.

EXIF:

Canon 80D

Canon 100mm macro

F/7.1

Shutterspeed 1/160

ISO 125

Handheld, External flash fired

Location: Kaikamba, Kasargoad, North Kerala

[Sabyasachi Patra]

This has come out well. This image shows the scale ie. how small the spider is as compared to the flower. It also helps us get a perspective that even a small plant and its flower can harbour life. So it is important to protect various species of trees and plants as they serve as microhabitat for many tiny species. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

[Mrudul Godbole]

The colour and the patterns created by the petals look lovely. Agree one can see how tiny the spider is and it blends so nicely with the petals. Nice observation and capture. Thanks for sharing.