Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans)
- Juno Dunes Natural Area, Palm beach Co., FL, USA
Hanging by one claw, this green lynx spider dropped the butterfly she had been feeding upon (image below) and caught this colorful wasp. While she fed, the wasp was swarmed by tiny micro-flies called “freeloader flies”. These tiny flies feed on the prey of the spider, sometimes even hanging out with and riding around on the predator. These uninvited dinner guests are called kleptoparasites! I have also seen them on the prey of assassin bugs.
(photos: Bob Peterson)
(spider with nest of spiderlings, and its Red Admiral butterfly prey)
