I almost posted something about the lovely colors on this Assassin Bug (probably in the genus Zelus). I can picture them as the base colors for an abstract fabric print for ladies’ clothing. I’m positive beetles and bugs could prove to be a fruitful avenue of study for clothing designers. Nearly every combination of colors and geometric shapes shows up on a beetle or bug somewhere in the world.
Even though I knew this bug could be bad news for some of my front yard pollinators, there were lots of both the assassins and the pollinators present, so I didn’t consider removing it. Most were hanging out motionless in the Rattlesnake Master blossoms, waiting for their tiny meals to deliver themselves.
One Assassin Bug nymph was waiting on a Sunflower face, and I watched as it advanced on the bee I was photographing. It stalked and then grabbed the bee, but the bee made a break for it,
When I turned to watch the bee leave, which it did with great speed and determination, I spotted this other Assassin Bug with its prey already well controlled.
While I was photographing, the spider showed up. I don’t think the messy webbing showing on the flower head belongs to this spider. The little white spider looked and moved like a jumping spider, and they don’t usually make webs. So, if the webbing doesn’t belong to the spider, why did it walk into the frame to check out the action with the assassin and the bee?
I expect it was checking out the local disturbance to see if there might be a meal involved. Once it had gotten close and watched the assassin a bit, it turned and left. I think it was clear that the bug had a good grip on the bee and was not about to drop it for the spider.