Orb spider and Honey Bee

Cygnus Studios

Cygnus Studios

Part 2
Rotated for your viewing pleasure:

Photog4Christ

I very seldom see a bee in a spider's web. Great shot!

How long did you sit there and watch? Did the spider come right over to the bee or was it there awhile?

Lord Vetinari

Good ones- tricky subject(s).
These web spiders do often ignore bees which are normally able to escape.

Brian v.

Cygnus Studios

I did not see the bee actually hit the web, but I did watch as the spider finally made his way over to the bee and begin to wrap him up. The bee tore a huge hole in the web flapping around, but did not act like a normal bee. (not quite as strong). He may have been dying when he hit the web, I don't know. The Hornets are regular visitors to my hummingbird feeder which is a few feet from the web. There are around a dozen half eaten or dead honey bees within 8 feet of the feeder, that I believe are casualties of the Hornets.

The web is right outside of my sliding glass door so when I am on the computer I can see the spider and kind of keep an eye on what's going on. The spider is currently sucking the juices out of the bee. He did drag the bee to the lower end of his web. The bee is every bit twice the size of the spider, so this meal should last a week.