In a surprise discovery, scientists have discovered the first known mostly vegetarian spider in the jungle mountains of Costa Rica and Mexico. The Bagheera kiplingi was observed feasting not on flies or gnats but on the buds of the acacia plant. Science has known about the Bagheera kiplingi since the late 1800's when naturalists collected dead specimens of them. This is the first time, however, that its behavior was logged.
Um, excuse me. There isn't any gelatin in this plant bud, is there?
Christopher Meehan of University of Arizona in Tucson studied the spiders (while at Villanova), also noting that they had to constantly keep a watchful eye out for the ant species that share the acacia habitat. The ants aggressively protect the plant from intruders in exchange for food and housing, and the spiders must hop from thorn to thorn to avoid them.
"It is utterly surreal," Meehan said to National Geographic, "to see a spider use such effective hunting strategies to hunt a plant."
It is also important to note that the spider does occasionally fall off the wagon and eat ant larvae.
Comments
vegetarian spider.. that`s new.. well.. at least he eats healthy. :)
Posted by: fix mobile | October 15, 2009 5:34 AM
I know, how cool is it! I heard about it on Twitter the other day and posted on it as well. That be my kinda spida!
Posted by: Captain Skellett | October 16, 2009 12:55 AM
The spider is eating protein and lipid rich Beltian bodies. These specialized structures grow on the tips of the Accacia leaflets and are eaten by the symbiotic ants.
Posted by: Jim Thomerson | October 17, 2009 4:35 PM
Did he say eating protein rich "Bleiman bodies"? Ew!
Now you know how rumors get started...
Posted by: Cheryl Harner | October 18, 2009 12:25 PM
"vegetarian spider.. that`s new.. well.. at least he eats healthy. :)"
i agree :)
Posted by: Erbil | October 19, 2009 10:01 AM
spiders are SO cool.
Posted by: ym | October 20, 2009 5:13 PM
spiders are SO cool :)
Posted by: NBA | October 22, 2009 2:15 PM
If this had been posted on April 1st, I would have said, "yeah right blemmies!" I thought I knew spiders. I've loved them all my life. At one point I'd considered graduate studies in arachnology but I DIDN'T KNOW THIS!
/SHAME
Even worse-they belong to my favorite grouping of spiders, the Salticids.
Who am I? What is my name? What is up? Am I real???
Posted by: Arachnophile | October 22, 2009 3:51 PM