Manila Bulletin

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

When I was a child growing up in this neighborhood, Crab Spiders were plentiful. One of my regular activities back in elementary was to try and spot them on various blossoms and then feed them insects (yes, I guess that was pretty cruel). I’d hunt down and catch Moths or Crickets and hold them over a Crab Spider which would grab the insect with his front legs and then sink his fangs into the creature. The insect would struggle for a while before falling still in the Spider’s grasp.

Occasionally, the Spiders would bite off more than they could chew. I remember how I once spotted a fairly large Butterfly flapping her wings furiously but unable to take flight, seemingly glued to a flower. Looking more closely, I discovered that the Butterfly was trapped in the grasp of a tiny Crab Spider, one around the size of a mung bean (monggo).

The Butterfly must have been at least ten times the size of her captor, but could not escape the Spider’s grip. I watched the unfolding scene for several minutes, fascinated by the struggle between predator and would-be prey. I suppose the Spider simply did not have enough venom to overcome such a large insect, and eventually the Butterfly managed to escape the Spider’s clutches and fluttered away.

INCHORDATE

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2021-11-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-11-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

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