Predators on Butterflies

[drdn at mail.utexas.edu]

Quoting Stan Gorodenski <stan_gorodenski at asualumni.org>:

> This is not intended to start up the collector-anti collecting debate. 
> For the past 3 weeks or so I have been going to one of the few spots not 
> sprayed by pesticides for various reasons. I have never seen so many 
> crab spiders in sunflowers and other yellow flowers of composits and 
> they are really having a feast on the butterflies in the area, including 
> bot flies and even bees. 
c---------------------------------------------
That is true here too (TX, Travis Co.). I have never (since 1968) seen so many
butterflies and honeybees caught by *Misumena* and *Misumenoides* in flowers
(mostly *Eupatorium* spp. and *Verbesina virginica*). This seems to be an
unusual year (as usual)!
--------------------------------Chris Durden
One could almost make a lep collection by 
> grabbing the prey from the spiders. I did this yesterday and got a 
> perfect Zerene cesonia(?). Those in the past those, such as Ron 
> Gatrelle, who have pointed out how much more an impact predators, rather 
> than collectors, have on butterflies sure hit the nail on the head.
> Stan
> 
>  
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