Vegetarian Spider Described · Slashdot Mirror

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."

1 of 162 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Re:Semi-Vegetarian by Shakrai · 2009-10-14 00:51 · Score: 0, Troll

I'm a NZ pussy personally opposed to PETA
Fixed that for you :)

--
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.