A jumping spider found in Central America is the first known spider species to subsist on plants, according to American scientists.
While many spiders eat nectar and a single species has been observed eating pollen in addition to insects, Bagheera kiplingi dines almost exclusively on 'Beltian bodies', protein- and lipid-rich structures located on the tips of acacia shrub leaves.
Out of about 41,000 known species it is the sole spider to maintain a nearly vegetarian diet. Mistaken for an ant
Acacia is well known amongst scientists for its relationship with ants. The animals eat the acacia's sap in return for protection against herbivores and competing plants.
Some scientists have misidentified the spider as an ant and never noticed the phenomenon of its diet.
To confirm observations of the spider's diet, the team performed stable isotope analysis on its body tissues. Using this kind of analysis, the ratios of isotopes of nitrogen and carbon are used to see what types of food an organism eats. It shows whether it consumes plants or animals.
Vegetarian spider is first of its kind
A jumping spider found in Central America is the first known spider species to subsist on plants, according to American scientists.
While many spiders eat nectar and a single species has been observed eating pollen in addition to insects, Bagheera kiplingi dines almost exclusively on 'Beltian bodies', protein- and lipid-rich structures located on the tips of acacia shrub leaves.Out of about 41,000 known species it is the sole spider to maintain a nearly vegetarian diet.
Mistaken for an ant
Acacia is well known amongst scientists for its relationship with ants. The animals eat the acacia's sap in return for protection against herbivores and competing plants.
Some scientists have misidentified the spider as an ant and never noticed the phenomenon of its diet.
To confirm observations of the spider's diet, the team performed stable isotope analysis on its body tissues. Using this kind of analysis, the ratios of isotopes of nitrogen and carbon are used to see what types of food an organism eats. It shows whether it consumes plants or animals.