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Photo#595034
crab spider w/ crowned slug caterpillar - Misumessus oblongus

crab spider w/ crowned slug caterpillar - Misumessus oblongus
Donalds, Abbeville County, South Carolina, USA
November 14, 2011

Moved
Moved from Misumessus.

Moved
Moved from Goldenrod Crab Spider.
Seems to us now that this is more likely Misumessus, so moving it there.

Interesting!
Did the venomous spines deter the spider? Or did the spider actually kill the caterpillar? Or were they strangers passing in the night?

 
dead caterpillar
I first saw the pair on 11/12/11 and posted a photo on Flickr where Lynette S remarked that she thought the caterpillar was likely already dead. So, two days later (today) I went back to the same spot and lo and behold the two were still there! ...the spider was still protecting its prey with the caterpillar looking even more deflated.

 
legs
This is an amazing photo and situation. I noticed that the spider has lost many of her legs, both of the largest front legs (L&R) are gone, as well as leg 2 on the spider's left side. I wonder if she lost them in the encounter with this armored prey (seems unlikely), or was reduced to scavenging after the loss of so many legs? These largest legs are the primary raptorial weapons of these spiders, hard to imagine how they could capture prey without them.

 
Thanks Kim
I posted your image on the family info page.

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