Along Came a Spider

Monarch butterflies are toxic to critters that eat them as a consequence of feeding-upon their host plant – milkweed. 

During the larval stage of growth as the monarch caterpillar feeds poisonous Cardiac Glycosides found in the milkweed foliage are stored.  This toxin is harmful to vertebrate predators – those predators that have a backbone or spinal column.  It is quite a remarkable defense mechanism.  However, these glycosides have no effect on invertebrate predators. 

Which would explain why a spider has disabled this monarch and is tying it-up with webbing in anticipation of dining-upon it. 

click on image for a closer look

 

There you have it – this is where the strong survive and the weak are killed and eaten.