Are Spiders Picky Eaters?
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Arachnologists, scientists who study spiders, have long been intrigued by spider diets. One question they consider, "Are Spiders Picky Eaters", has been the subject of both observation and sicientific experimentation.
Like all scientists, when arachnologists conduct experiments on spider diets, they are trying to stay as objective as possible with respect to the potential answers.
Objectivity in scientific experimentation often loosely translates into scientists trying to prove their thinking is wrong, rather than prove their thinking is correct. Scientifically, the process is known as testing the null hypothesis.
A pair of arachnologists conducting experiments on the pickiness of spider eating habits, started with the hypothesis that spiders eat any insects that come their way.
They conducted an experiment with an Araneidae species, an orb weaving spider (Micrathena Gracilis).
Over an extended period of time, they counted the number and size of insects that flew into the web. They also recorded the number and size of the insects that the spider captured for dinner.
Testing the null hypothesis meant that the researchers thought that the spider would eat all the insects that landed in the web, regardless of insect size.
At the end of their experiment, they concluded that when given the choice between large and small insects caught in the web, the spider preferred larger insects.
In scientific terms, they concluded there was a statistically significant relationship between spider diet and insect size. The hypothesis that spiders are picky eaters still stands.
The top picture shows a crab spider with a bee. Although crab spiders were not part of the experiment, a similar experiment could be undertaken using crab spiders, by watching their behavior while they were sitting on the top of a flower. Do they ignore smaller insects, waiting for a larger fly or bee to sit and nectar on the flower?
© 2008 Patricia A. Michaels