Small matters

As a general rule, I try not to interfere with nature. But yesterday, I did. I interfered.

After supper, I was in the back yard, walking a path, trimming dead foliage here and there. Along the way, I stopped to admire the last surviving one of five yellow garden spiders (Argiope aurantia) that took up residence this past summer in our yard. At the base of her large orbweb, she'd hung a recent catch, wrapped in white webbing. A couple of little legs dangled out through the silk. When I saw them still moving, I felt sad. That's nature, I told myself, and walked on by. 

But I went back.

"I'm sorry," I told the spider. "But I have to rescue this one." Trying not to damage her web too much, I was able to remove the dung beetle – likely a Texas black phanaeus (Phanaeus texensis). I took a picture of her (above), then went in the house for scissors. Could I save her? I had to try.

Patiently and gently, I trimmed fibers and pulled away silk with my fingernails. I was so afraid that I might damage or pull off one of her legs. All the while, the beetle struggled and fought, never tiring or giving up. "You want to live, don't you," I told her. "Well, I'm trying!" Slowly, bit by bit, the silk came away. At one point, I could see that the wrapping could be peeled away. It wasn't sticky at all, just tight. 

Miraculously, the spider's webbing finally fell away and off! My beetle friend was free, free, free! I'd done it!

 

Happy and relieved, I carried her to an open area outside our yard and set her on a rock. Quick as a flash, she buzzed up, up and away! (I barely got a video of her taking off.) Her final mission in life now is to deposit eggs in some poop and then go to heaven. She won't live much longer. That's nature. So was I wrong to interfere? Maybe. But when I saw her struggling and her determination to live, I had to try and help. I couldn't just walk away. 

One little beetle – who cares? Me and my heart did. Because small matters. 

The strong silk webbing that was around the beetle.

I hope my spider lady forgave me.