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Vegetarian Spider Described
Smivs writes with word on a spider, Bagheera kiplingi, that dines almost exclusively on plants. "The recently described species of jumping spider, discovered by researchers from Villanova and Brandeis Universities, dines on the protein rich tips of acacias, the thorny shrubs found in much of Central America. ... The species of acacia... favored by the Bagheera kiplingi has protein-rich leaf tips and nutritious sap to reward its [symbiotic ant] protectors. ... The Bagheera kiplingi has essentially evolved to steal from the mouths of the ants. These agile, inquisitive jumping spiders can leap up to 50 times their own body lengths... Competition for prey in the spider world is fierce. The Bagheera kiplingi's ancestors took the reflexes evolved for hunting and adapted into a creature that uses them for ant evasion."
Their go the friendship prospects with the neighbourhood arachnids.
I'm still waiting for PETA [peta.org] to release some propaganda relating to this story...
They are too busy berating President Obama for murdering that poor innocent housefly.
PETA: Proudly placing animals ahead of people since 1980.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
"Smivs writes with word on a spider..." My first thought when reading this was "What kind of computer is a spider?" followed by "Why isn't he using Open Office?"
Plesiometa Argyra is a fairly common fly and mosquito catching spider in Costa Rica. Every day of its life it weaves a flimsy circular web to catch its prey - unless it gets stung by a Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga wasp. That’s where this spider’s life gets, well, very interesting. The wasp sting briefly paralyzes the spider and eventually turns it into a zombie.
Unfortunately, one must read about a boring vegetarian spider to find out that there exists something as mind-blowing as a zombie spider
0 = 1 + e^(Alt something)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012121331.htm
" with hints of males helping to care for eggs and young, another behavior that is virtually unknown among spiders. "
"Well, plenty of arachnids are vegetarians"
Only the trendy ones.
Naw, the Ubuntu code name is Vegetarian Velociraptor.
The enemies of Democracy are
and settled down as a benign vegetarian
give that spider the nobel peace prize
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Their webs are for energy production only. They are peaceful spiders. Really.
They just don't eat cows. No need to label that!
Err, how about "Hindu"?
(and before I get the brigade marching in here claiming all manner of insults, I'm Hindu).
Man who leaps off cliff jumps to conclusion.
If they are vegetarians, why do they make webs?
So they can have websites?
I am anarch of all I survey.
Sort of a "metro-insectual?" (Buh duh BUH!)
Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Yeah, it's very novel to see a spider nomming on plant matter, but rushing to call it vegetarian is as inane as calling anyone wearing all black goth. They might just be wearing all black...
Aparently it's changed since we were young. "Goth" is a sad 90's sub-culture, but wearing black and mopping around while declaring your hate for everything is "Emo" (which I think is short for emotionally crippled fashion victim).
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
People Ethically Terminating Animals Tim S. PS: I prefer the standard People Eating Tasty Animals.