I just spent the last twenty minutes watching a big Daddy Long Legs spider creeping down a Huntsman spider's thread from the ceiling, slowly reeling the smaller spider in like it was fishing. The Huntsman was by no means little either, while it didn't have the leg span of the Daddy Long Legs it's a bulkier spider, and not nearly as fragile.
The Huntsman knew what was happening and was desperately trying to save itself, reeling out incredibly long threads which waved in the breeze, obviously hoping the threads would catch on somewhere so it could pull itself away to safety. That plan wasn't working so well, and a few times it ran up the line it was hanging by, which the Daddy Long Legs was creeping down, but whenever they got within an inch or two of each other the Daddy long Legs lunged out to attack the Huntsman, which went hurrying back down the line again.
The Daddy Long legs seemed to know it wasn't in an ideal situation, it was going very slowly, cautiously, and a few times looked like it was about to fall off. But it was determined, and kept creeping along toward the Huntsman, slowly reeling the smaller spider in.
After watching for a while, curious to see what would happen, I felt sorry enough for the Huntsman that I caught one of its escape lines on my finger and got it to stick to the doorframe. As soon as the Huntsman felt that the line was strong enough it ran down that line and escaped, and the Daddy long legs, defeated, went back up to the ceiling. My good deed done, I fetched the vacuum cleaner and sucked them both up.
- DannyR
The Huntsman knew what was happening and was desperately trying to save itself, reeling out incredibly long threads which waved in the breeze, obviously hoping the threads would catch on somewhere so it could pull itself away to safety. That plan wasn't working so well, and a few times it ran up the line it was hanging by, which the Daddy Long Legs was creeping down, but whenever they got within an inch or two of each other the Daddy long Legs lunged out to attack the Huntsman, which went hurrying back down the line again.
The Daddy Long legs seemed to know it wasn't in an ideal situation, it was going very slowly, cautiously, and a few times looked like it was about to fall off. But it was determined, and kept creeping along toward the Huntsman, slowly reeling the smaller spider in.
After watching for a while, curious to see what would happen, I felt sorry enough for the Huntsman that I caught one of its escape lines on my finger and got it to stick to the doorframe. As soon as the Huntsman felt that the line was strong enough it ran down that line and escaped, and the Daddy long legs, defeated, went back up to the ceiling. My good deed done, I fetched the vacuum cleaner and sucked them both up.
- DannyR
