Nature always has surprises in store. It was a nice bright morning and there was a pleasant breeze blowing, sending a shiver down my spine once in a while. All the plants were swaying in this breeze. And a spider web caught the morning light and looked like silver strands amid greenery.
Closer observation revealed a very beautiful spider with green, yellow, silver and black on it. The camera came out of my bag and I was getting ready to capture this moment. The breeze was not helping me at all – the spider swayed in and out of focus. I was continuously looking through the camera, waiting for the right moment to press the button. I managed some pictures but was still trying to get the best one.
Even as I was looking through the camera, something dramatic happened. A delicate, blue and black, damselfly that was flying in the vicinity of the web came dangerously close to the web. And, long before I realised, it flew into the web and got entangled. The spider did not waste much time; it rushed to the struggling damselfly and caught it.
I got more than I bargained for – I managed to photograph the spider and damselfly together on the same web. Both are beautiful and colourful little creatures playing their roles in nature! The spider and damselfly are predators in their own respect, but on this occasion the damselfly became the meal of the spider!
Orchard Spider or Decorative Leucauge Leucauge decorata with damselfly