Fishing Spider
Dolomedes instabilis
-26.5615, 153.084
Field Notes
Notes:
I saw this beautiful spider in our backyard pond this morning. I wasn't sure at first if it was a water spider - I was concerned that it might have fallen off a tree and got stuck - but when I tried to rescue it, it ran off across the surface of the water (it was impressive)! These spiders submerge to grab small fish, tadpoles and water insects. One source I looked at said that they will dip one foot below the surface of the water to attract prey, and then grab it when it gets close.
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