Canon Pro 90 IS 7mm at f4 1/160 second, ISO 100

Showdown

Something bad is about to happen, and I'm partially at fault.

I did a few closeups of this praying mantis that I caught on a bush outside my place one afternoon, then returned him to it. I completely forgot about the Argiope spider that I'd seen there earlier, and almost placed the mantis right on top of him. I actually saw him before they saw each other, and waited out to see if this was going to turn into a drama. Not long afterwards, they became aware of each other, producing the image you see here.

Did it lead to anything interesting? You bet, but be warned, it's pretty explicit. Click here for the followup.