Orb-weaver Spider

The Neoscona molemensis, shown in my pictures, is doing exactly what it spends most of its life doing. It is sitting in a quiet, shaded spot, concealed as much as possible from predators. It looks serene and idyllic, but appearances can be deceptive. Take a slightly closer look and you will see some fine strands of silk. Some of them are mooring lines which support the spiders web, but there is always a single strand which is attached to one of the spider's legs. This strand acts like a trip wire. If anything touches the web, this line will twitch and this peaceful little spider will turn into a murderous monster. it will rush down onto the web with lightning speed and dispatch the prey with demonic energy. It will then return to its peaceful repose and wait for its next victim. Sometimes I think I should just stick to taking snapshots of butterflies :-)