selective compassion

[miriam_e]

Insects and arachnids are both arthropods. They are animals with their skeletons on the outside. They are very different from us vertebrates with our internal skeletons and soft, fleshy exteriors. Spiders are poisonous and feed upon mostly insects. Wasps are poisonous and many of them find spiders to feed to their young. There is a kind of equivalence in lifeform and lifestyle.

So why did I let a wasp escape out my kitchen window tonight away from the spider?

I like spiders and I like wasps... but I somehow felt more compassion for the pretty wasp and saved it, condemning the equally pretty spider to go without a meal.

Why?

Comments

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Really nice analysis. I'd been coming to similar conclusions myself. What clinched it for me was when a March Fly got into the kitchen yesterday. March flies are amazing creatures. They are large -- about an inch long -- biting flies and they hurt like hell when they ram that large proboscis into your flesh to have a drink of blood. I think only the female drinks blood, and only when it comes time to get an extra boost of protein so she can lay her eggs. The rest of the time I believe March Flies drink nectar from flowers.

Anyway I had this March Fly in the kitchen. I didn't want to leave it inside the house and I didn't really want to release it because I've been doing a fair bit of clothes washing lately and been bitten by a few of the damn things while hanging out the washing outside my kitchen.

So what did I do? I helped the spider entangle it in its web. Boy, do I feel guilty about that. Without my help the spider would never have caught the fly. March Flies are big and strong, and can rip their way through most web, but I turned it over in the web so its feet couldn't drag it to freedom. Gah! Horrible! I feel quite awful about it. (Though I'm sure I'd have the spider's vote of thanks if it knew how on Earth it had landed such a giant meal.)

[qu-is.livejournal.com]

Don't feel too guilty... I'm not sure how long march flies live anyway, but at least it died to another's benefit rather then the pointless death of being swatted.

I've had to vacuum up all these ants lately because they keep getting into my bathroom despite my attempts to block access. It feels awful when I think about it too much. Here I am totally outside their comprehension seeping in to create total destruction when they are simply exploring new territory.

such is life.