Crab Spiders (Thomisidae) typically conceal themselves within the petals, seeds, or leaves of a flowering plant, waiting in ambush for insects to come along. They quickly lurch out to capture any unsuspecting insect that happens by. Prey rarely escape the clutches of these bold little spiders. The spiders get their name from their superficial resemblance to crabs. The action in the above photo took place on the seed head of a Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in the very fine garden onRead more
Posts tagged: #purple coneflower
Pupae Plus
I’ve been casually checking for Cloudless Sulphur pupae out in Catch the Wind for the past two years. I’d not found one until now! On September 11 as I walked past the patch of Partridge Pea in Catch the Wind I noticed that a Cloudless Sulphur caterpillar had attached itself to a pea pod on one of the plants and had curled itself into a “J” on the underside of the pod. I couldn’t wait until the following morning. IfRead more