This drama unfolded on a cob wall which is home to many hairy-footed flower bees. A male bee became entangled in a cobweb and was attacked by a spider.
A male bee has no sting and has only his jaws with which to defend himself from the (presumably venomous) bite of the spider. I am normally non-interventionist in this type of situation but because my mother was there I had to rescue the bee.
He looked a bit bedraggled but agreed to pose for a few photos while he got his breath back.
I thought the bee might have been seriously bitten by the spider but after he had got rid of some of the cobwebs he flew off a few minutes later, apparently none the worse for his adventure.
Having written a blog post called A Close Shave I am now wondering how I can use A Grand Day Out and The Wrong Trousers. Watch this space.
Like your mother, I would have intervened on the bee's behalf as well. I hope he learned to be careful around cobwebs from now on. The spider looks like it's making a good living, judging by the size of it's abdomen.
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