I was out hunting the other day and discovered one of the ultimate huntresses of all time. Of course, I was hunting for interesting subjects to photograph, while she was hunting for her supper. She is a beautiful magnolia green jumping spider (Lyssomanes viridis), a type of jumper found mostly in the southeastern United States and into Texas. Like other jumping spiders, they are ambush hunters, capturing their prey by hiding and jumping on them. They eat many insects that are bad for plants including aphids, mites, and ants. Green magnolia spiders are frequently found on the broad leaves of southern magnolia trees, but they can also be found on the leaves of other trees and on low scrub. I actually found this one between the leaves of a pipevine plant. From there, she had access to several stems and other leaves, and as you can see she blends in well with the leaves. I consider myself lucky to have even noticed her. I’m not really sure why I decided to look between the leaves, but I’m glad I did. I didn’t bother her too much since she was obviously busy, trying to get an evening meal before the sun went down.