Isn't She Lovely

I've been wanting to see a female Wasp Spider in all her stripey, hairy, leggy loveliness for ages but just haven't ever managed to see one on my travels. That would be because my travels had been pretty limited. But not lately they haven't. My friend Andy and I have been traveling around all over the place mostly in search of plants and as a result of this we've also stumbled upon lots of other things and Wasp Spider has been one of them. The following lovelies were photographed in the Purbeck area of Dorset, Langstone Harbour, Hampshire and Brandon, Suffolk.

The unfortunate Long-winged Conehead seen here was wrapped in silk and killed so quickly I couldn't get a photo of the 'action'. I estimate it was all over in four seconds. Unbelievably quick!

The poor unfortunate.

This massive individual was on Ballard Down.

 She's tucking into her latest victim here.

This smaller one was on the Artemisia Reserve in Brandon Suffolk, she was catching pretty big prey items though.

This one was also on the Brandon reserve and was stockpiling her prey items!

And at Langstone Harbour while looking for Slender Hare's Ear we saw a couple of the spiders guarding their large elaborate egg sacs.....

 Some more attentive than others! 

A couple of close ups for the arachnophobes (Don't look Martha!)

What's not to like?