Poor Spider :(

Just thought I'd share something I saw while outside. I did not interfere with it as this is something that is happens naturally that I feel I have no right to interfere with, so don't get upset. Still can't help but feel sorry for it though

I firmly agree with your sentiments. When I see a situation like that, be it a predation, or just an act that may have lethal consequences as crossing a road, I view it from the native American perspective of the last dance. Keep in mind, animals have no concept of the future. They live in the now and perform to the penultimate of their abilities without preconceived consequences being taken into account. Warriors.

Ive seen so many people kill tarantula hawks to save spiders that have already been stung, i consider spider wasps to be every bit as fascinating and beautiful as any tarantulas..

No sense in killing them.. they're just providing for their own brood.. spider wasps are active pollinators, so killing them is pretty stupid and does nothing but damage the environment..

People forget that in nature there are no pest and useful species. Every animal, plant, protozoan ect. plays its own role in the complicated web of correlations.

The Snark said:

I firmly agree with your sentiments. When I see a situation like that, be it a predation, or just an act that may have lethal consequences as crossing a road, I view it from the native American perspective of the last dance. Keep in mind, animals have no concept of the future. They live in the now and perform to the penultimate of their abilities without preconceived consequences being taken into account. Warriors.

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I don't think that we have the data to propose what Arachnids do or do not "think" about, or consider, in regards to past present or future.

Clearly preparations are made daily for the best possible future. Perhaps all they think about is the future, with no regard for the present!

We are also only animals, (which many people forget) and like many other animals, data has shown that there is consideration and future planning.

Regarding the hawk, these are fascinating creatures, and only when they get really aggressive around my young one do they get terminated. If you have never seen them go after a lantern light, feel lucky! They are crazy loud winged and they smash and attempt to sting the lantern in a fury.

Gary Larson, creator of The Far Side, wrote a hilarious book about that sort of thing, people misinterpreting nature. It's titled, "There's a hair in my dirt!" Dark, funny, and educational.

I do love spiders but wasps are cool, too and she's only doing what her instincts tell her how to provide for her offspring. It goes to show that even with these fierce predators, there is still something even fiercer. Spiders actually do have a lot of predators; birds, lizards, frogs, coatimundi, grasshopper mice, etc.

I personally hate wasps with a burning passion, but it's these solitary wasps that are the exception. One of the reasons being they don't form swarms that can sting you to death lol, and another is that some species kill the caterpillars that eat my tomato plants

Micrathena said:

Gary Larson, creator of The Far Side, wrote a hilarious book about that sort of thing, people misinterpreting nature. It's titled, "There's a hair in my dirt!" Dark, funny, and educational.

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An absolute must read for any budding naturalist or person who needs perspective. Thanks for reminding me of it.