True Spider Versus Wasp. . . . Spider 1 Wasp 0
Here are some images I took today (Aug 4) of a spider defeating a wasp in Fish Creek Park. I am not sure what kind of spider or wasp they are but that's one tough spider!



Other photos from different angles: Note spiders fangs embedded in wasp's abdomen. I could see the energy slowly draining out of the wasp as the venom took effect.











This is the best image showing the coloration of the spider



I then walked along the bike path for about 10m and spotted another spider lying in ambush. It is very similar to the pattern on the other one but not exactly. It's opisthoma is quite smaller. Maybe the second is a male?







There were numerous of the same wasp browsing on the flowers of this bush as well. Perhaps this spider specializes in hunting this wasp?


Finally in case anybody thinks Canada doesn't have pretty bugs check this caterpillar out (this is the unedited image. . .no photoshop. . I don't even have photoshop LOL)!


See what you guys have done to me! Now I'm becoming the "crazy bug guy" in my fav park.

It's great to see you out and about Martin. It took you long enough to become an addict!

Beautiful pictures! And that caterpillar is GORGEOUS!

Thanks Jamie. the photo doesn't do the caterpillar justice. Lots of interesting wildflowers around too christian. Almost everything I saw was landing on the flowers.

Martin, I know you, but I cannot recall what you look like. Advancing old age and a touch of Alzheimer's will do that to you!



When I first saw this photo I thought, "I know that!" and I started looking through the web. The first clue was the spine on its rear end. Probably moth family Sphingidae, the horn worms. Among them are the tomato horn worms. When I did an image search I thought I had it nailed as the caterpillar of the pink spotted hawk moth, but upon closer inspection the colors and patterns didn't match. So, "picture keying" doesn't work any better for caterpillars than it does for tarantulas!

I'm probably close, but like the man said, "Close, Colonel, but no cigar!" Maybe you have time to pursue the mystery.



Guilty as charged, on behalf of all of us.

BTW, I'll back in Calgary in September. Wanna meet up someplace so I can see who you really are? My E-mail's in my sig.

Cheers, and enjoy your little, 6-legged and 8-legged, addictions!

Hi Mr Schultz,

Emily one of the conference attendees showed me the website bugguide and I'm going to post it there for an ID on the caterpillar. I'd love to meet when you get back in these here parts LOL. Fish Creek is georgeous as usual!

Here is another caterpillar i saw in the same spot 3 weeks ago. It's where the bike path crosses Fish creek about 4m from the stream.


Martin

I posted the photo of the caterpillar on the site Bugguide and it was ID'ed as the "Spurge Hawk Moth" or Hyles euphorbiae . It is a caterpillar that feeds on the Leafy Spurge plant which is a pretty bad invasive species from Europe. Looking the plant up on wikipedia it turns out that the yellow flowered plants that the spiders were hunting in (in the spider/wasp encounter) are in fact Leafy Spurge so now I have the whole picture so to speak and not really much off topic.

I gotta get a life man! LOL

Please, I AM NOT "Mr. Schultz!" I am "Stan." We're all friends here.


Two quotes to ease your pain:

"I generally try to avoid 'normal' people. Normal people are boring people. The universe is far too big, and far too full of beauty and surprises. If all you do is sit home and do normal things you've missed the train, and it's a terrible way to waste a lifetime."
-- Stan Schultz, 2010-July-22

"You laugh at me because I'm different, I laugh at you because you're all the same."
-- Jonathan Davis (KoRn vocalist)

Enjoy your un-normal, little, 8-legged buddies!