The photographer first photographed this pair of spiders from a high camera angle, against a low background of a field of grass, and was unhappy with the look of the picture.
Life among the tiny creatures that inhabit the insect world can be full of life-and-death drama, as the sequence of photographs on this page shows.
Two spiders of opposite sex confront each other. The smaller male (right) is interested in mating. The female may or may not have the same desire, but is clearly doing her best to entice the male to come closer.
He has good reason to be cautious, though, because he could well end up being overpowered and eaten by his larger and more-powerful potential mate. Spiders are known to be cannibalistic.
Generally, the male must be particularly careful after mating, which is the time when many female spiders attempt to make an easy meal of him.
Beforehand, though, he has to take care that he is not mistaken for prey by the female. This is why he advances cautiously - to be sure he has identified himself as a male spider of the same species. There are different approaches for each species. Some males offer a present; others perform a dance. If the signals are right and the female is ready to mate, the male is allowed to approach.
Sometimes, though, as in this case, the female acting coyly, allows the male to approach for mating purposes while, all the time, she has other, darker intentions in mind - namely, having him for dinner.
SEQUENCES CAN BE POWERFUL IN TELLING A STORY
The pictures here capture the confrontation from first meeting to final resolution. Photographic sequences such as this are an excellent way to illustrate the day-to-day behavior and drama that go on all around us, usually without our taking note of it.
The photos were taken through a window using a digital camera capable of macrophotography. Lighting was provided by the sun, situated behind the tiny subjects and off to one side.
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Shooting from a low angle with the sky behind made for a less-distracting background and provided better contrast. The male spider is about to extend a leg to "test" the female's receptivity.
The female curls up her legs while the male cautiously extends one of his in an exploratory probe.
The moment he gets within reach, the female explodes into action, spreading her legs in an effort to entrap the hapless male. Look closely; you can see she has his probing leg clenched tightly in her jaws.
The female extrudes her web to help in overcoming the male.
Although she has a tight grip on one leg, the male breaks free, and loses the leg in the attempt. He quickly dropped to the ground.
The female spider may have lost her main course for dinner (the male spider), but thoroughly wraps the severed leg, which she stored attached to her web.
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