On day at the North Carolina Arboretum last summer, I went searching for what I call “little wonders” and was not disappointed. Where there are flowers, there are sure to be insects and spiders and with a little awareness, they are pretty easy to find.
I found a lovely pale yellow crab spider on a pink coneflower, with her legs in ready position to capture some unsuspecting insect visiting the flower for a taste of sweet nectar. Crab spiders have the amazing ability to change colors based on the flower they are on–in my experience, it is unusual to find one that does not blend in. One on a yellow flower will be yellow, one on a pink flower, pink. This one perhaps had not been there very long. Her pale body stood out dramatically against the pink petals.
This spider does not build a web, but waits, still and silent.
I waited with her and eventually, a small iridescent insect landed and the spider made her move. Some reading might feel sad for this turn of events, but in nature, everyone has to eat. Sometimes you’re the predator, sometimes the prey. It is the way it is and always has been, a part of nature that must be accepted.
Struggles like this go on every day, in every part of the world. We humans are usually unaware of them. As usual, I felt fortunate for the opportunity to witness a tiny moment in the lives of two fascinating creatures.
A lesson I think we can all learn from this is: Life is short! And you never know when your time will be up. Live each day to the fullest without concern for what tomorrow may bring.
To find out if what you know ABOUT SPIDERS IS FACT or Fiction, click here.
Are you afraid of spiders? Learn about how I overcame my fear of spiders here.