1. The female crab spider was jumping into the mid air to catch the bee when I saw her. She grabbed the bee tightly with a single thread of silk connecting to the flower. The bee was struggling, trying to escape from the predator. But..Nowhere!! It just need a few seconds for the female crab spider to paralyze the bee...(FL 180mm, 1/40sec-F/18, ISO 400, Manual, Tripod, fill flash at -1.67ec.)
2. The spider brought back the bee to the flower where she was hiding of before. Don't know how will she handle the prey...(FL 180mm, 1/2sec-F/25, ISO 400, Manual, Tripod, fill flash at -1.67ec.)
3. Then I saw a male crab spider (the tiny brown color one) approaching to the female from behind. Thought that he was coming to help...(FL 180mm, 1/3sec-F/25, ISO 400, Manual, Tripod, fill flash at -1.67ec.)
4. When the male spider was climbing onto the female, the female was using her hind legs to kick him off several times. But as she have to hold the prey tightly at the same time, the male managed to climb up...and stick to that position for few minutes..Then just at this moment I realized that the male was most probably mating with the female. My God!!! (FL 180mm, 1/3sec-F/25, ISO 400, Manual, Tripod, fill flash at -1.67ec.)
5. The male spider left the female after he has achieved what he want, moved to a leaf above the flower to hind himself. And the female was carrying the bee moving around the flower. Eventually, she brought the bee to hind underneath another leaf at lower part of the plant, disappearing from my view... (FL 180mm, 1/3sec-F/22, ISO 400, Manual, Tripod, fill flash at -1.67ec.)
Just wondering if I interpret the observation correctly? Will the male get a piece of the prey later on?! Does he do the right thing to mate her at that point of time (assuming that my speculation is correct)? What do you think?? :P
