It's a wrap - spider style

Yesterday I watched a yellow and black argiope spider (writing spider, aka Charlotte from Charlotte's Web) wrap up prey on a windy afternoon.

Argiope spiders spin HUGE webs and this beautiful arachnid is no exception.  It's shimmery web stretches from a corner of our house to a white cast iron chair with a distinctive zigzag pattern in its center.

With a web stretching between the roof, wall and left cast iron chair, the female argiope spider
rests upside down in the web's center. 

While over the years I've watched argiopes catch many different kinds of insects, I have rarely observed them shrouding their prey as efficiently and quickly as this lovely lady wrapped up her prey.

Another yellow and black argiope with a butterfly catch

Below are three short videos of our most recent resident arachnid as she wrapped up her catch in a shroud of white fibers.