Unexpected Encounter

While stalking (Paparazzi style) a Tawny Emperor Butterfly (Asterocampa clyton) in the Rio Grande Valley, my subject turned into a lunch break for a small Bronze Jumping Spider. What was remarkable about the event was the way in which the small spider captured the butterfly.

I know,
For the butterfly lovers, ......boo...... hiss...... Down with spiders,
For the spider lovers, ....cool.... Nice catch by a Bronze Jumper
For the detached, impartial naturalist, ......... a good photo op.

Bronze Jumping Spider and Tawny Emperor

Anyway, back to the story.
As I was following the Tawny Emperor, which was flitting from tree to tree, suddenly the Jumper lived up to it's name. It leaped about 12 to 18 inches off of the trunk of its tree and with uncanny accuracy intersected the butterfly’s line of flight. It had left a strand of silk attached to the tree. When it caught the butterfly, it evidently stopped reeling out its line of silk and could then swing back to the tree. This occurred in the blink of an eye. If I had not been concentrating on the butterfly, I would never have seen it happen. There was no ensuing struggle. Either shock, poison, or a combination of both was enough to end the encounter. Since I was an uninvited guest for the meal, I moved on.

By the way, jumping spiders have a saying taken from "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" - "We don't need no stinking web".

I believe the spider is Eris militaris or possibly Eris flava. Let me know if you can tell conclusively.

The moral or conclusion to the story is: Be alert when observing Nature, and thank goodness jumping spiders are as small as they are.

Shudder!!

Troy