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."

Comments

Semi-Vegetarian

[lyinhart]

From TFA: "The truth is, this spider isn’t a complete vegetarian – more of a flexitarian: it still snacks on the occasional ant attacker or ant larvae." So it's kind of like those people who say they're vegetarian, but "eat a little fish" or "a little beef."

I'm still waiting for PETA to release some propaganda relating to this story...

Re:Semi-Vegetarian

[Shakrai]

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.

Re:Semi-Vegetarian

[AP31R0N]

As a vegetarian, i find the term flexitarian annoying. It's like a saying "I'm a virgin because I only do it doggy style". i'm also annoyed by people who say they are lacto-ovo-pollo-pesci vegetarian. They just don't eat cows. No need to label that! Seems more like they are trying to have a trendy label of their own. i'm not looking for a label, i generally avoid mentioning it at all. i just order what i want.

There's no reason to call this spider vegetarian. It's a spider that eats mostly plants and the occasional bug. It would be more accurate to say omnivore. The term vegetarian couldn't apply to a non-sapient animal. A dog that eats nothing but veggies isn't vegetarian, it's just eating what is available. It's not making a *choice* to not eat animals. These spiders aren't making a choice either. They're following instinct to find an easier source of food. It's an evolutionary change in strategy. For me, it is a choice. i am an omnivore choosing to not eat other animals. These spiders aren't troubled over the treatment of factory farm animals, or worried about cholesterol or anything else. They're just avoiding a crowded field of competition for food.

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... or they might be a juggalo or Marylin Manson fan... or....

The other thing that bugs me is how much other people obsess about what i'm NOT eating.

Re:Semi-Vegetarian

[dakameleon]

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).

Re:Semi-Vegetarian

[wizardforce]

PETA: Proudly placing animals ahead of people since 1980.

ORLY?

Re:Semi-Vegetarian

[Chris Mattern]

A herbivore. Vegetarian implies a conscious decision not to eat meat.

Well, plenty of arachnids are vegetarians.

[Rei]

For example, spider mites. Infestations of them are frustratingly difficult to get rid of. They're so tiny that it stretches the bounds of human vision to spot them -- although their webbing is generally easily visible when infestations are bad. Their mouthpieces are designed to cut open individual plant cells. Since they're not insects, many conventional insecticides don't work on them -- for example, acetamiprid.

Of course, then there are the predatory mites that eat the spider mites...

Re:Well, plenty of arachnids are vegetarians.

[Rei]

To protect the colony from predators.

Re:Well, plenty of arachnids are vegetarians.

[Anonymous Coward]

Their webs are for energy production only. They are peaceful spiders. Really.

Re:Well, plenty of arachnids are vegetarians.

[ignavus]

If they are vegetarians, why do they make webs?

So they can have websites?

Re:Well, plenty of arachnids are vegetarians.

[gestalt_n_pepper]

Sort of a "metro-insectual?" (Buh duh BUH!)

writes on a spider

[emeraldemon]

"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?"

Keep Reading...

[swanzilla]

FTA:

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

Re:Keep Reading...

[Chris Burke]

While Tarantula Hawks are awesome, it's not quite as crazy as what these other wasps do. The T-Hawk's victim is simply paralyzed to serve as food. The argyraphaga victim actually remains mobile, but does the wasp's bidding by first building a specialized web just to hold the larva's cocoon, then waiting patiently in the middle of the web to serve as a snack. It's a zombie minion.

Re:You don't make friends with salad

[bennomatic]

Once a friend of mine were having a lobster dinner, which came with access to the salad bar. I was getting up to get my salad and asked if he was coming, too, and he said:

"Salad is what food eats."

Re:You don't make friends with salad

[Joe Snipe]

Wow an atheist monk vegetarian! Let us know if you ascend.