Cattails and Water Spiders

Fishing Spider, Dolomedes triton

I spent the rest of the afternoon cutting back cattails in Crystal Pond and serving as a scarecrow (Scare-heron?) for the salamanders.   As I sank up to my shins in mud and water, I was accompanied by an amazing array of water-striders and diving beetles.   I noticed also several varieties of water-spiders zipping about among the cattail stalks I was cutting down.    One looked like a giant, aquatic wolf spider and another seemed transparent, with a pale yellow tint.    I did not remember enough about these two to identify them when I got home, but a third species was more memborable.  This one was brown outlined in white, with several white spots on the abdomen.   With the aid of my Audubon Field Guide to Insects & Spiders,  I saw that this one was the Six-Spotted Fishing Spider, Dolomedes triton. 

Fishing Spider--a name packed with meanings!   Not only does this spider eat tiny fish, but it is sometimes eaten by fish.   Fish, fishy, fishiest!