Recently I have become fascinated with spiders, and in particular the Black and Yellow Garden Orbweaver spiders (Argiope aurantia). I’ve spent an amazing amount of time observing them and their webs. Already I have posted photos of the spiders themselves, their webs, and several types of prey that they have captured and wrapped in silk.
This past Monday I observed what I think was a spider actually feeding on a victim that I can’t quite identify. For some reason I used to think that spiders ate solid food, but now I understand that they have a mostly liquid diet. According to an article at earthlife.net, the mouth parts of these spiders have a serrated edge to cut into the prey and a filtering edge covered in fine hairs that prevents solid particles from entering the spider’s mouth. This filtering system is so fine that only particles smaller than 1 micron (0.001 of a mm) can pass through. The spider’s venom has enzymes which can help liquify the insides of a victim and the spider may also excrete digestive juices onto the victim. Spiders then have a sucking stomach that helps them ingest the liquids.
Argiope aurantia feeding on captured prey
Sharp-eyed viewers will notice that I rotated the image 90 degrees counterclockwise to make it easier to see what is going on. Note the positions of some of the spider’s legs as she cradles her victim. If you click on the image, you will get a higher-resolution view of the spider. My apologies if I have been too graphic in describing this spider’s digestive process.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Amazing picture!! I did a blog on them recently that included a picture of their egg case, which is definitely worth looking for. “My” spider is in the middle of my sedum patch and not an easy area to get pictures of.
There is a meadow marsh that I visit that has a number of these spiders that is only a few miles from where I live in Northern Virginia. As we move into the fall, I am going to be on the lookout for the egg sacs. From what I read, they look to be pretty visible.
Another very good shot, Mike–happy to see that you’re having so much fun and getting such good results. Looks to me like it might be a honeybee or a small bumblebee, but pretty hard to tell.
Even on the higher resolution original it’s tough to tell what exactly is wrapped up. Thanks for the encouragement, Gary. I feel like a kid as I learn and play and discover. As I look back at some of my images from a few months ago, I can see that I am improving in some ways, but still have a ways to go. When it gets colder, I may have to move indoors and face the ultimate challenge–photographing people!
Nice shot!