Sun Spider eats Beetle

bugman

May 31st, 2008 at 12:00 am

Tags

food chain

Solpugid
For years I had thought that Solpugids were ‘Vinegaroons’ because when we moved up here (Mojave Desert) that is what we were told. We were also told that they if you were biten by one, you’d taste vinegar for a week or two. I know better now and I am very, very jealous that the Solpugids you have posted on your site are bigger than any of the ones I have seen. I usually only see babies/teens. I was out an hour ago looking at a baby Mantis when I saw this fight going on between a baby Solpugid and some kind of beetle. Don’t know if you will read this but thought you might enjoy this picture anyway. I felt bad for that beetle.
K

Hi K,
Please don’t have Solpugid envy. Your photo is, we believe, the first we have received of a Solpugid eating. We will also post your image to our Food Chain section. We think the prey is a Ground Beetle, but the photo hasn’t enough detail to be certain.

Crab Spider eats Skipper (October 15, 2006)
Green Lynx eats Gulf Fritillary (September 4, 2007)
Mantis eats Mouse: Staged Photo or Documentation of Nature???? (April 25, 2008)
Green Lynx Spider eats Bumble Bee (November 6, 2008)
Wheel Bug eats Japanese Beetle (September 20, 2009)