Spider Success and Failure

Not all spider egg sacs end in spider success. This green lynx sac has been sliced open along the bottom suture and there's no sign of eggs or spiderlings or the mother spider for that matter. In green lynx spiders the mother plays a vital role in protecting the young spiders; I guess in the case of this split-open sac the female spider was killed by a predator (maybe the mantis that also hangs out in the same patch of lantana) and the eggs were then easy pickings for some egg-eating critter.

And some spiders are successful at reproduction. This mother spider is seen standing guard over her brood. The spiderling mass begins taking on a fuzzy appearance as the little guys' discarded sheds festoon the webs surrounding the nest.