After finishing that previous post, I just went out to survey the yard for other subjects and checked on the Argiope. The encased male was missing from the web already, curiously, but while I was looking to see if his carcass had been discarded underneath, found a male conspicuously at the edge of the web again.
Now I’m confused. Another suitor already making his move even before the wake? Or the same one, and the whole “immobilize you in webbing like a cricket” thing was, what, a game? Courtship ritual? Gentle warning? Mistaken identity? (“I’m sorry honey, I thought you were a burglar!”)
I checked underneath the web carefully, hoping to resolve this by finding Bachelor Number One’s corpse, but nada. The one currently hanging out still has all his bits, as it were – well, not all his bits, as he’s shy two legs now, but his manhood arachnohood is intact. If anyone wishes to enlighten me (or speculate just for giggles,) please feel free.
No, that’s not sweat, just dew. I think.