Take a look at this amazing video taken by Bunnia DoByns of Blanco, Texas. She was there at just the right moment to see a yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) catch and wrap wide swaths of silk around a grasshopper that had just bumbled into her orbweb. With Bunnia's permission, I'm sharing her video here and also on my YouTube channel.
If you look closely, you can see how this spider is pulling silk from her spinnerets at the tip of her abdomen. Spider silk is comprised of proteins and is liquid until it hits air. Then it solidifies and becomes super strong and elastic. About halfway through this video, I believe the spider is biting and injecting venom into the grasshopper, which will paralyze and provide a fresh meal for when the spider's ready to eat.
Thank you, Bunnia!
1 comment:
I had one by my front door this year.
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