Sep 14, 2011
The skipper wasn't skipping.
In fact, it wasn't doing much of anything.
The fiery skipper butterfly (Hylephila phyleus), tangled in a spider web, struggled furiously to free itself.
Not going to happen. The sticky substance stuck to her like super glue.
It's a scene you don't often see. This time, however, before the resident spider on the catmint could grab its prey, I released the skipper.
Sorry, spider. Gotta protect the pollinators.
Attached Images:
![Fiery skipper struggles to free itself in a spider web. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Fiery skipper struggles to free itself in a spider web. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/8577.jpg)
Fiery skipper struggles to free itself in a spider web. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
![Head of fiery skipper shows the tangled sticky strands of a spider web. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Head of fiery skipper shows the tangled sticky strands of a spider web. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/8578.jpg)
Head of fiery skipper shows the tangled sticky strands of a spider web. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
![Released fiery skipper ready to flutter away. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey) Released fiery skipper ready to flutter away. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/bugsquad/blogfiles/8613.jpg)
Released fiery skipper ready to flutter away. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)