Have you ever tried to wrap a present that is large and awkwardly shaped? I have childhood memories of helping my parents wrap tricycles and wagons for my younger siblings on Christmas Eve. No matter how much wrapping paper I used, it was pretty obvious what was underneath the wrapping.
I have watched Black and Yellow Garden Spiders (Argiope aurantia) capture prey multiple times. After the initial capture, the spider wraps up its prey in a special kind of silk that looks like a long gauze bandage. (Check out my 2014 posting called “Wrapping up a meal” for a more detailed explanation and some close-up shots of the wrapping process.)
When I spotted this Black and Yellow Garden Spider on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I could see from a distance that the spider had captured something that was as large as it was, but I could not determine what it was. Once I got closer, I could see that the spider had awkwardly wrapped up what appeared to be a large cicada—it was impossible to hide the shape of the cicada’s large wings.
At some point in this process the spider injects venom into the prey, killing it and liquefying its internal organs for consumption. I cannot tell for sure if that is what the spider was doing at the moment I captured this image, but the position of the spider’s body suggests that possibility.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Stunning image, Mike! As you know, I always appreciate your captures of critter behaviour but this is also a beautiful image on a visual level with all of those shapes and angles. I especially like the repetition of “switchback” lines in the web and the spider’s legs and even the markings on the spider. The crispness/sharpness of the image is also impressive.
Thanks, Laura. I am fascinated by spider webs and I love the zigzag pattern that this species uses as part of its web construction. I was able to get relatively close to the spider, which meant that I did not have to crop the image much at all, thereby retaining the maximum possible amount of detail. When I looked at the camera settings, I was a little shocked at how sharp the image was, because the shutter speed was only 1/100 of a second, slower than is generally recommended with a 180mm lens without image stabilization. Aesthetically, I too really like this image, for the reasons you cited, Laura. It feels nice when things fall into place and I can produce cool images like this one.
I’d never seen this until my walk to the San Bernard tree. Along that path, I saw three of these spiders with wrapped prey, and one of them looked like it had been to prey-wrapping classes.
With small prey, these spiders put on quite a show as they spin the “package” around as they quickly wrap it. Sometimes the spiders will have several of wrapped prey scattered around their webs, presumably snacks for a later time.
Oh my. Nature at wok. Great photo, Mike.
Thanks, Dan. Like many of my spider shots, viewers will probably be divided between finding the image to be cool or creepy. I’m hoping to pull a few more people into the “cool” category because I was able to capture some of the amazing details of the spider’s web.
Spider webs are amazing and (I find) difficult to photograph. By that I mean, it’s hard to cpture the “look” that I see.
The trick to getting some good shots is to go out in the relatively early morning; have the web be backlit; and deliberately underexpose the shot to make the background a bit darker. I suspect that what you are trying to capture is something like the shots in this posting from 2015. https://michaelqpowell.com/2015/10/22/early-morning-spider-webs/
I’m often trying to capture horizontal webs that are wet with dew. Often, I see some that look like there’s a vortex in the middle. I have a couple nice shots of those, but a lot that didn’t turn out like I’d hoped.
Wonderful description and spider lesson, Mike; and a fantastic photo. I guess I haven’t observed enough spiders, your post and the linked one have just inspired me to stop and observe them more. This is fascinating information, different kinds of silk, I never knew. Your description at the beginning about wrapping gifts, and the spider explanation that followed helped me to see what was going on in the photo more. It does look like the spider is injecting venom, too. Thanks so much for opening up this world to me through your patient and enthusiastic outdoor adventures.
Thanks so much, Jet. Your detailed description of what you learned, how you learned it, and why you enjoyed the process was really gratifying to read. I’m no scientist, but I have learned a lot over the years about some of the subjects I photograph. I love sharing that information and my own experiences in ways that people will hopefully find fun, interesting, and cool. We can all use more childlike curiosity and enthusiasm.
And I read this while eating my lunch! Looks like cicada to me. No thanks..do not want a bite.
Oops. Sorry for the bad timing. I’ve leave the cicada to the spider–she does not need to share. 🙂
Very nice Mike! They are fun to photograph!
It’s tempting to say something like “biting off more than she can chew,” but they take as long as they need to, to finish up a new addition to the larder like this one. It’s fascinating to see how they can handle prey (sometimes several times) bigger than themselves.
I too am fascinated by the array of prey that spiders manage to capture in their webs. In some ways, though, I am even more amazed by what jumping spiders, which don’t have the advantage of a sticky web, are able capture. I remember capturing a series of shots a few years ago of a jumping spider with a much larger dragonfly. (https://michaelqpowell.com/2014/05/27/spider-captures-dragonfly-the-story/).
That was a great post, and Phidippus audax is one of my very favorite salticids. I found my best one in Omaha almost exactly a year before you saw yours: https://krikitarts.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/webnesday-4/
I just love those turquoise “fangs.” I definitely remembered my post on the Bold Jumping Spider, though I must confess that when I just looked at your post, I did not recall seeing it before. I left a comment, however, in 2013, and marveled at the fact that you stalked the spider for several days. With a lot more experience in photography since I saw that post in 2103, I can appreciate even more the quality of your photos–your capture of its eyes is amazing.