On a cat hunting trip to St. Francois State Park in September, Casey and I had the great fortune of finding one of the coolest spiders in the state – the toadlike bolas spider (Mastophora phrynosoma). Females of this species are well known for their unique hunting method. By day, they sit around, often out in the open, looking very much like a bird dropping. At night, instead of building webs, they move to the edge of a leaf or twig and hang a single line of silk with one or more sticky globules attached – their “bolas” that they use to ensnare moths and other flying prey. See this great video by the BBC for a demonstration of this.
This is the second year in a row I’ve had the fortune in finding one of these girls. If I’m lucky enough next year, I’ll be sure to try my hand at catching her hunting behaviors with the camera.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 
What a find. Will be awesome to video her hunting. Well done, Bill.