The spider and the ant

Now that the Wet Season is here, there are no more great swarms of emerging insects. Termites and ants still turn up in dribs and drabs and there are smatterings of leafhoppers, but the wildebeest-like migrations from somewhere to my windows aren't happening anymore. I can go outside at night and not get covered in arthropods.

Well, almost. The period of abundance that followed the first rains has brought forth a second wave of creepy crawlies. My house is now home to so many spiders that the whole building appears to be enshrouded in spider web. Among these arachnid Christos are numerous red house spiders (Nesticodes rufipes).



This is a strongly synanthropic species found in warmer areas of the world. Their webs are messy structures often constructed in corners and under eaves. This one had built its web around an outside light, where it managed to snare an ant alate. The ant is about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long. Despite the difference in size, it was no match for the spider.