Predators and prey - how well will they play?

I've been trying to get back here to update what is happening for a few days but life has got in the way!
So, while I sit here and listen to the Cicadas song get ever louder, here is the news.
I'm very happy to announce the appearance of first one, and now several ladybird beetle larva!

Ladybeetle exuvia (skin) left under leaf after moult. 

Ladybeetle larva hanging upside down from exuvia attached to underside of leaf.

Ladybeetle larva feeding on fungus just like its parents! 

 I found the first one hanging under a leaf after just moulting its exuvia (skin) and then the following day, I found more. There seems to be quite a few of them wandering over the leaves. I am not sure whether spiders will eat them but so far they are managing to avoid being killed by the tribe of Salties I seem to have patrolling the microcosm. The retreat under the leaf has gone now and I see a couple of females as well as a couple of males covering the entire bush but they seem to be more up the mantid end now. I don't know if they have spotted them and are hoping for a decent meal, since the tiny plant hoppers I found one chowing down on would not provide much sustenance I think.

 European Elm Leafhopper - Ribautiana ulmi (Linnaeus 1758)

Subfamily/Tribe: Typhlocybinae: Typhlocybini

Female Helpis minitabunda feeding on leafhopper as shown above. 

In the days I have been observing the microcosm since last post, I got quite worried as my little brown mantid disappeared for a day and seeing the salties lurking all over the bush had me really worried. I found the green guy but search as hard as I could, grovelling down on the ground and looking up into the undergrowth, I could not find it. I found a spider carcass, or was it an empty shell? I am not sure since it fell down and disappeared into the brownness below! Actually, while editing the photo, I decided it is the exuvia because I can see split in the skin. I suspect it just blew down there in the wind and didn't moult in the microcosm. I haven't seen a spider of that sort; it looks like a huntsman type to me. 

Exuvia of larger, possibly huntsman spider down in the branches.

My next discovery, despite not finding my little brown mantid was a new ladybird visitor! A beautiful amber coloured creature with black spots. It wandered around for a little while then flew away. I got a few shots of this beauty and my research tells me it is another introduced species from Europe known as the Spotted Amber or White Collared Ladybird beetle -Hippodamia variegata . It preys on aphids and other small insects so I hope it finds plants with aphids in my garden instead of moving on; it would be very handy to have around! And it's really pretty! 

Hippodamia variegata - White Collared Ladybird Beetle

So, I guess you are wondering by now if Little Brown (my little brown mantid) returned to the Microcosm! Well, I was hoping he had just gone off somewhere safe to moult and would return but with all the predators in the neighbourhood, I was getting very concerned that he had been breakfast for someone! 

However, finally yesterday afternoon I found him again! He has moulted and sure looks different; lighter in colour and greenish now and maybe a little larger. Just beautiful! 

The realisation from this is that brown is the first instar, greenish is the second. Not sure where that pinkish guy fitted in yet. I haven't found that one for a while either. 

Little Brown - second instar; now much more pinkish green after his moult.

Here is the pièce de résistance of today's post! Some of my Google+ friends already saw my post - an irresistibly cute baby Salticidae spider! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this little guy. You can imagine my thoughts: Oh, what's that? (Looks closer) It looks like a little spider. In fact it looks like a tiny, almost colourless saltie! Oh my gosh! I have to get a photo of this! This is awesome! (Huge grin spreads across face as I run to get my camera) 

Now, this little guy wasn't too keen on me following its every move and it made some very cool jumps which confused me for a second since when you are looking through a lens, you can't see where the thing you were staring at disappears to! However, I persisted and finally the little guy allowed me to snap off a couple of shots although when I first flashed him, he seemed to have a little fit! I think it was a bit much for the poor little fellow's big eyes. I felt bad about that!

So now we know why mum is no longer in the retreat and why I couldn't see them in there. Her babies have left the nest and they are so colourless as to be difficult to see through a webby covering!

I didn't find any more spiderlings in the microcosm which is not to say that they don't exist! I was just lucky seeing this one I think!  

Helpis spiderling peering over leaf.

Helpis spiderling full view; see its pinkish abdomen in the classic shape of the adults!

I hope you enjoy the photos and the wonder of the microcosm as much as enjoy telling you about it! Till next time...