Summer means cicada season in Texas. If you look carefully you can usually catch a few as they’ve just emerged from their larval shells. Immediately after molting their wings are still wet and can be easily damaged, so they stay put until the wings are completely dry. I saw this one last weekend, a bit before sunrise.
This morning I was lucky enough to find another one. I noticed that it seemed stuck in its shell, and as I looked closer something didn’t look right. There were spider webs all over the cicada.
This small spider, a fraction of the size of the cicada was working on its next meal. I figure that it must have paralyzed the cicada before it went to work.
Here’s another view of this crazy scene.
I decided to come outside every half hour or so and check on the progress. My next visit made me question my sanity for a moment. The cicada was gone!
I heard a squawk and looked to my left. One of the guineas was devouring both the cicada and the spider! It happened so quickly I couldn’t snap a photo.
Here’s all that remained. I guess the shell wasn’t too appetizing.
Such is the circle of life!
willsfamilyacres 
Wow, indeed! Those guineas turned predator into prey in short order.
Yes, they did! Couldn’t believe it
This is the best post, cracked me up! Their little shells are EVERYWHERE. They mostly gross, but I found one that had wrapped itself around a Rootbeer plant leaf shoot before beginning its transformation. The leaf unrolled and opened up, but the shell still holds it together in the middle like a belt. That was kinda cool.
Thanks! Yes, they are everywhere. I don’t know why those shells gross me out so much too, always have 🙂
Great catch – it’s really interesting to see them shed their skin but the spider as predator was fascinating. All to end up guinea food!
Haha! Yes, so funny. All that hard work for nothing 🙂
So the cicada has that spider to fear as well as the cicada killer and guineas. The cicadas are busy humming in the south of France too where they seem to revere that critter. I even bought a vase shaped like one and a tablecloth. But the lavender fields are being destroyed by the larva which spreads some kind of bacteria so introducing guineas would not help.
That is terrible. Hopefully they find a cure for the bacteria.
The circle of life indeed, although perhaps not as positive a story as Disney’s ‘Lion King’! Great catch on the photos.
Haha!