Sharing Arachnids
I was much surprised at what I witnessed in my basement sink recently, and it is ironic that I observed this over the holiday season.....
By way of background, this past summer I would glance into my basement sink on the way to the computer and more often than not I would see a spider sitting at the bottom in a web waiting for some prey to happen along. With the onset of the colder winter weather, the spiders became far and few between.
However a short time ago I glanced into the sink and was surprised to see not one but two spiders, and sharing the same web!
Then one disappeared.
Cleaning up just before Christmas I happened upon some old Christmas cookies that the grain moths had invaded, and I thought to see if a grain moth caterpillar would make a meal for the sink spider (I don't know what else he would find this time of year!).
So I tossed the caterpillar into the web and the spider reacted, which was good!
But the next day I see the second spider has returned (!), and not only is sharing the same web again, but is feasting on the caterpillar as the other spider "watches" from a little distance away!
The past couple of days either one or the other spider has been feeding, taking turns very "politely", no worries, very civilized!
So in a strange way perhaps these spiders are reminding me of the spirit of the season! :)
By way of background, this past summer I would glance into my basement sink on the way to the computer and more often than not I would see a spider sitting at the bottom in a web waiting for some prey to happen along. With the onset of the colder winter weather, the spiders became far and few between.
However a short time ago I glanced into the sink and was surprised to see not one but two spiders, and sharing the same web!
Then one disappeared.
Cleaning up just before Christmas I happened upon some old Christmas cookies that the grain moths had invaded, and I thought to see if a grain moth caterpillar would make a meal for the sink spider (I don't know what else he would find this time of year!).
So I tossed the caterpillar into the web and the spider reacted, which was good!
But the next day I see the second spider has returned (!), and not only is sharing the same web again, but is feasting on the caterpillar as the other spider "watches" from a little distance away!
The past couple of days either one or the other spider has been feeding, taking turns very "politely", no worries, very civilized!
So in a strange way perhaps these spiders are reminding me of the spirit of the season! :)