Spider in my hand

 You won't believe this story. But it's absolutely true. And yes, it involves a spider. A sac spider, to be more precise.

I'd gone outside to wander around in the back yard. We'd had a nice rain earlier in the day, and I thought I might spy something in the way of a new species for my iNaturalist list. As I was leaning down to peer at a large black ant on the ground, a movement in the air caught my eye. A spider! Naturally, I cupped my hand around her and brought her up close for some photos.

She soon leaped away on a strand of silken thread, and I rounded her up again in my hand. In the process, I accidentally squashed her abdomen a little. "Oh, I'm sorry!" I told her. Thankfully, she seemed fine. As you can imagine, I was quite relieved. And then–

––OUT OF NOWHERE––

A SMALL BLACK WASP LANDED ON MY OPEN HAND!

Within nano seconds, she attacked the spider while I helplessly looked on. There was nothing I could do.

"OH, MY GOODNESS. OH, MY GOODNESS," I kept repeating while I watched the whole ordeal. I was also taking photos, of course. By that point, I knew I had to let nature take its course.

Nature's course is the spider wasp mama had already stung the spider. The venom paralyzed the spider, which she'd carry off to her nest. Soon the live but paralyzed spider will be fresh food for the wasp's larvae. Poor spider! But that's nature.

My spider friend lost a few legs in the attack.

The entire scene only lasted a few minutes. I managed to get a quick video before the wasp took off with her victim. And to think it all unfolded right there IN MY HAND! I am still completely amazed. 

And now you are, too.

"It's all my fault!" I say in the video.

 

P.S. Look what my crazy husband James created (below) and posted on Facebook later in the day....