Saint Andrews Cross Spider (Argiope sp)

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St Andrews Cross

St Andrew's Cross Spider

Argiope

A male, no bigger than the head of a thumb tack, tickles the web of a huge female attempting to seduce her but there is an unexpected third party!

Here the tiny male has got her attention by tickling the web. If you look at the last two legs on her upper side there is something dark protruding between them.

The object protruding between her legs turned out to be the leg of another male. Two legs missing meant he had probably not been unscathed in his first encounter with the larger female but having survived and been accepted he was tucked beneath her body

Perhaps the body language should have warned the newcomer. Here she dances and twists toward him, the first suitor still tucked beneath her. As she did this he dropped from her body to the ground and actually stood watching as the drama played out

Was the newcomer surprised as she reached over, drew him near, and bit him before preparing him as a meal.?

The most surprising act of all was when the injured male climbed back up the web to her side as soon as the newcomer was dispatched. The newcomer can be seen underneath her. The body language she displayed to the little injured male as he approaches is relaxed and totally different from her anxious contortions as she met his competitor