Chien C. Lee

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Predators & Prey 28 images Created 19 Aug 2020

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  • A Harlequin Gliding Frog (Rhacophorus pardalis) struggles futilely as it is being slowly swallowed alive by a Black-Headed Cat Snake (Boiga nigriceps). Stagnant pools of water in the Borneo rainforest serve as important breeding grounds for many tree frogs which gather around in great numbers, a fact that some predators wisely take advantage of. Kubah National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Ant-hunting spider (Mallinella sp.) predating a Giant Forest Ant (Dinomyrmex gigas ssp. borneensis), which it also mimics. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This female Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (Corythornis madagascariensis) has just been gifted a small lizard (Madascincus melanopleura) by her mate as part of a courtship ritual. Despite their name, these birds are not dependent on water, and typically hunt for insects and small vertebrates on the forest floor. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Rufous Mouse Lemur (Microcebus rufus), feeding on katydid. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • A damselfly (Coenagrionidae) feeding on a pygmy grasshopper (Tetrigidae) which it has caught during flight. Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • In the insect world, even having a vicious sting isn’t enough to always save you from some larger predators. Here, in the dry spiny forest of southern Madagascar, a wasp has fallen prey to a giant robber fly (Microstylum sp.). With fast wings, excellent eyesight, and piercing mouthparts, robber flies catch other insects in mid flight and suck out their insides like a juice pack. Berenty Private Reserve, Amboasary, Madagascar.
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  • Unable to fly with a load many times her own weight, a female Thread-waisted Sand Wasp (Ammophila beniniensis) hauls a large caterpillar which she has paralyzed with her sting. She is seeking a burrow she has prepared in advance and, even though it may be a considerable distance away, she shows a remarkable orientation ability even though there may be numerous obstacles in her path. Once placed inside, with the burrow sealed shut by small rocks and its entrance hidden from potential thieves, the ill-fated caterpillar will serve as live food for the single egg the wasp has deposited along with it. Fianarantsoa, Madagascar.
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  • Huntsman spider (Sparassidae) preying on a young Madagascar day gecko (Phelsuma parva). Tomasina, Madagascar.
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  • A potter wasp (Omicroides singularis) returns to her nest with a paralyzed caterpillar. Each perfectly crafted urn will be filled with a dozen or so caterpillars before she deposits a single egg and seals the entrance. The developing wasp larvae will feed on the caterpillars before pupating and emerging as an adult. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Like most snail-eating snakes, the Blunt-headed Tree Snake (Aplopeltura boa) is small and slender with an abnormally large head. They posses an asymmetric arrangement of teeth in their lower jaw which enables them to pry snails from their shells (most of which swirl in a clockwise direction) by a process referred to as "mandible walking". Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Bird Dropping Crab Spider (Phrynarachne decipiens) preying on cockroach (Ectobiidae). Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Tug of war: a Giant Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda sp.) struggles to keep a hold on her precious egg sac as a hungry Banded Forest Gecko (Cyrtodactylus consobrinus) attempts to steal it away. With sometimes over 200 eggs within the papery sac, the female spider guards her eggs ferociously, carrying the bundle in her jaws for several weeks until they hatch. Fortunately for the gecko, this spider seems more concerned with maintaining her grip with her mandibles rather than risking a quick release to bite the offending gecko. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A huntsman spider preying on a damselfly (Vestalis sp.). Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • With highly toxic chemical defenses ranging from benzoquinones to cyanide compounds, millipedes are generally avoided by most predators. However, in nature no matter how well protected you are, everyone has their Achilles' heel. In this case we have the Ectrichodiinid bugs, better known as ' Millipede Assassins'. These specialized hunters feed exclusively on millipedes, stabbing them with a stout proboscis, immobilizing them with venom, and are undeterred by their prey's thick armor and toxins. It is suspected that some species may actually be able to sequester the chemicals of the millipede to incorporate into their own defenses, but this remains to be studied. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Pitta-like Ground-roller (Atelornis pittoides) with earthworm. Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.
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  • Buthid scorpion (Tityus sp.) preying on a smaller scorpion. Yasuní National Park, Orellana, Ecuador.
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  • The complex ecosystem of the rainforest is filled with such a plethora of tiny hungry creatures that many predators may themselves become victims to something larger. Here, in the humid jungles of southern New Guinea, an unfortunate tree frog is being devoured by a large huntsman spider (family Sparassidae). With leg spans sometimes exceeding 15cm, these spiders spin no webs and instead rely on speed to catch their prey. South Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
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  • A Red-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis amictus) living up to its name: here with a large black carpenter bee (Xylocopa sp.) it has caught in mid-air. While most bee-eaters prefer open woodlands and forest edges, this species is unusual in that it is typically found deep within rainforest. Flashy colors in birds are often possessed only by the males and typically function as a means of advertising for a mate. However, in this species both males and females sport a bright red face, which suggests that the coloration may serve a different purpose. One theory is that this may serve to attract flower-feeding insects to venture closer for a look - a convenient way for the bird to catch an easy meal. Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Marauder Ants (Carebara affinis) attacking a beetle grub. The minor workers are assisted by their larger sisters, the majors and super-majors, which use their powerful mandibles to cut the grub into smaller pieces. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • A female pompilid wasp (Eragenia congrua) hauls a paralyzed spider (Corinna sp.) towards her nest, after having neatly amputated its legs to make the transport of her victim easier. This will not be food for her, but for her offspring. Her nest consists of a hole in the soft bark of a tree, and once depositing the spider inside she will lay a single egg, which upon hatching into a larva will consume the still-living host. Yasuní National Park, Ecuador.
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  • Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) eating crab. Chocó, Colombia.
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  • Lynx spider (Hamadruas superba) preying on plant bug (Alydidae). Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • What could seem more unappetizing to a bird than the prospect of eating its own droppings? The incredible masquerade of bird-dropping crab spiders (Phrynarachne spp.) enables them thus to hide in plain sight, usually perched exposed on the upper surface of a leaf. Not only does the spider itself look (and smell) like dung, but it also skillfully uses its own silk to simulate white stains of the splatter of a bird dropping – at times even crafting ‘drip lines’ down the furrows of a leaf. This disguise not only helps them avoid predators but it also attracts hungry flies which are hoping for a meal. Most spiders usually discard the remains of their prey after consuming them, but Phrynarachne sometimes incorporate the carcasses, as shown here, into convincing extensions of their facade. Kubah National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Sundew (Drosera burmannii) with trapped prey. Bokor National Park, Cambodia.
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  • Marauder Ants (Carebara affinis) attacking a beetle grub. The minor workers are assisted by their larger sisters, the majors and super-majors, which use their powerful mandibles to cut the grub into smaller pieces. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • This large Huntsman spider (Gnathopalystes sp.) has captured a walking stick (Hermagoras hosei). Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Huntsman spider preying on camel cricket, with parasitic midge. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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  • Huntsman spider (Heteropoda sp.) cannibalizing on another huntsman spider. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
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