Spider ambushes Argiope spider!

[Galapoheros]

My bro sent me this, is it real http://imgur.com/GjaS3N1 Be patient, it's a vid. Has it been posted here yet? What kind of spider is that attacking the Argiope? Wow that's amazing to me!

 

[Silberrücken]

It's quite real. The actions of the attacking spider, and the fact that it seems to have visually 'locked on' to the Argiope, suggests to me a Portia spider. (Jumping spider)

I can't be 100% sure on that, but this is my opinion.

If someone can ID the Argiope, maybe a search of the location where it is found will reveal the possibility of the Portia. Those are quite the fascinating spiders, the Portias are.

Added thought: Looking at the gif a few times... and looking at the legs of the attacking spider... it IS a Portia.

 

[Smokehound714]

It's a Pixella poorqualitiensis. Haha all joking aside..



IMO, looks like a Selenopid, commonly called flatties. their attack-style is very similar to jumping spiders'.

 

[The Snark]

Portia, the diablerist machiavelli fratricidal maniac of the spider world. Love them!

 

[Silberrücken]

I want to see original video! I think it is a Portia.

 

[Galapoheros]

Oh, I see, it must be a young/small Argiope. I was starting to think there was a spider that specialized in only jumping on spiders "that way" that I hadn't heard about.

 

[The Snark]

I had the opportunity of observing some Portia's once. Barring some weird pre-frontal lobe development these little zorpers are next to unreal. My mind boggles at the evolution they must have gone through. For a start they could teach just about any other jumper the meaning of the word fearless. They won't hesitate to jump a spider twice their size. Then they developed the ability to mess about in other spiders webs and how to avoid getting stuck. Then they learned how to vibrate their victims web and entice them out for glomping. And it wasn't enough to go tiger baiting, tempting out Agelenopsis, they discovered orb weavers are sitting duck targets.

 

[Smokehound714]

i dont think it was portia, looks too big. Portia gets to around 10 mm, i believe

 

[Amblypygi]

Hey Galapoheros

How could you not know this was Portia? I assumed you knew every spider type out there...sorta seems obvious.

Just kidding....this is your brother. Ha.

 

[Deroplatys]

Dont know why there's so much debate over it, it is a Portia, remember watching it on TV.

 

[Silberrücken]

Tried to catch a frame... rather blurry but... what do we think?

 

[Tarantula_Hawk]

Thats part of a recent series of documentaries commented by D. Attenborough called "Micro monsters". It's the second episode that deals mainly with spiders.
And yes, that's obviously Portia (not all Argiope are huge, and that is definitely a juvenile).

 

[Silberrücken]

And yes, that's obviously Portia (not all Argiope are huge, and that is definitely a juvenile).

:clap::clap::clap: Thank you! :clap::clap::clap:

i dont think it was portia, looks too big. Portia gets to around 10 mm, i believe

;P;P;P

(j/k!)

 

[Smokehound714]

lol okay i can see it now. Dang that argiope must have been tiny.

 

[Silberrücken]

lol okay i can see it now. Dang that argiope must have been tiny.

Well... to be fair... I did a double-take when I first viewed it. I must have watched it 50 times. LOL. I was totally convinced I was right about Portia, but the Argiope's size was throwing me off. As T_H posted, not all Argiope are big like we're used to here in the States.

This is a good thread.