Lions, tigers, and bears are plenty scary at the human scale – and not to forget other apex predators such as sharks and wolves, which feature in everything from fairy tales to Jaws. But despite their diminutive size, the predators of the insect world may be even more frightening – after all, a tiger bite doesn’t liquefy your insides so they can be sucked out!
The photos above are selection of tiny predators I found in my own garden this past summer, all of them on the hunt for prey. In sequence, our lineup includes:
1 & 2: Peppered jumping spider
3 & 4: Golden jumping spider
5: Common damsel bug
6: Praying mantis (juvenile)
As someone who has felt arachnophobia most of their life, oddly enough I find jumping spiders less creepy than their web-dwelling cousins. Which isn’t to undersell their prowess as hunters; watching a jumping spider of any species stalk and pounce on prey makes very clear just how proficient they are.
Likewise, mantises are well-known and storied as predators, especially their penchant for feeding on each other – whether that’s their mates, or siblings. The mantis pictured is one of 6 juveniles that I found inhabiting my sage bush; over the course of two weeks, that number dwindled, and while it’s possible that some individuals moved out into the surrounding plants, it is equally likely that some of them became a meal for their brothers and sisters.
Finally, the common damsel bug – this is a new species for me, and I once again have to wonder at its name. “Damsel” doesn’t often go hand-in-hand with “predator,” so perhaps it was meant to be ironic. In any case, I lack firsthand experience with the damsel bug as a hunter, but one of the first statements on its identification was “predator.” So, pretty clear that it has a reputation!