Death amongst the bloom

[Prajwal J Ullal]

ID: Crab spider with butterfly catch

While traversing the trail, looking out for butterflies, was surprised to see a skipper feeding on the flowers, and to top it off, it hardly was getting bothered with me approaching to frame it, too comfortable to be true. That’s when, on close observations, realized that the butterfly was fallen prey to the well camouflaged crab spider. Only on approaching the butterfly from other side the spider could be seen clearly, showcasing its capability to utilize its surrounding to blend in them

EXIF:
Canon 80D
Canon 100mm macro
F/13
Shutterspeed 1/200
ISO 500
Handheld, external flash fired

Location: Nagla trail

[Mrudul Godbole]

The flowers and the plant makes the spider totally unvisible. Also it is so small, spotting it is difficult. It has got a big catch. The vertical framing looks good here. Nice observation and spotting. Thanks for sharing.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

The small size and the camouflage makes it difficult to detect. The vertical framing works. Nature is always full of such exciting incidents. If only we had the time and inclination to seek...