Jumping spider with dinner

Last weekend I was enjoying the beautiful weather by preparing a nice BBQ dinner for the family. We had just sat down at the table (out on the deck) when my youngest son pointed out a “spider carrying another spider” (as he put it) on one of the deck posts. It turned out to be a juvenile Phiddipus jumping spider feeding on another spider (possibly a philodromid crab spider). Naturally I wanted to take some photos, but I opted to eat first and shoot later. So we all had dinner together: the humans ate sockeye salmon, nugget potatoes roasted in herbs and olive oil, Caesar salad, corn and a crisp white wine (yum!); while the arachnid feasted on its hapless cousin (tentatively identified as a philodromid crab spider).

Somewhat surprisingly the spider was still there when we finished eating (it even waited while I did the dishes)…

Photographed with an Olympus OM-D E-M5, Zuiko 6omm micro 4/3 macro lens and 16mm + 10mm extension tubes.

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P5110417 jumping spider feeding on spider prey copyright ernie cooper 2014 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr

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P5110377 new jumping spider feeding on spider copyright ernie cooper 2014 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr