Drawn To The Light

An insect’s fate

Trapped. Cane Beetle in a web, Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland. © Bronwen Scott.

Last night, a beetle saw a welcome in the light that shone through the rippled glass of my kitchen window. In its fascination or delight, the beetle did not notice the threads that spread across the pane. They were translucent, fine as hair and as strong as wire. And they were as sticky as tar.

I had watched the spider weave its web. As anchor points, it used the iron awning…