Predation of an orb-web spider (Argiope sp) on the baron (Euthalia sp)

Predation of an orb-web spider (Argiope sp) on the baron (Euthalia sp)The giant cross spider (Argiope anasuja Thorell, 1887) is a carnivore that uses its orb-webs to trap insects and other invertebrates (Tikader 1961, Kulkarni & Deshpande 2011) and is widely distributed throughout Seychelles, the Maldives, Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Australia (Cocos Is.) (Rain et al. 2016).Scant information is available on the diet of these spiders in Bangladesh.On 1 April 2021 at 12:17 h, we observed a giant cross spider predate on a butterfly at Kendua (23°04′38.4″N,91°19′12.3″E),Cumilla, Bangladesh.It was a sunny day while we were passing by a home garden and encountered this phenomenon.The spider was moving on its web, approximately 3 m above the ground.At the same time, a common baron (Euthalia aconthea) was flying around it.After a while, the baron flew into the web and got trapped.As soon as the baron got trapped, the spider wrapped it in silk (Fig. 1).