The Vegetarian Jumping Spider

Spider Resources Spider Pictures and Information Are Spiders Picky Eaters? Jumping Spiders

Recent spider research, presented at a couple of scientific conferences during the summer of 2008, introduces the novel idea of a vegetarian jumping spider.

Jumping spiders are a family of small spiders, named for the way they capture prey. Spiders generally, including jumping spiders, are placed solidly in the carnivore category, making any discussion of a vegetarian spider big spider news.

The vegetarian species, Bagheera kiplingi, is a fairly common Central American and Mexican species, that until now, received little notice except among jumping spider specialists.

Accacia trees are thought to be the spider's preferred habitat, and specimens were videotaped on the tree, living on a diet consisting primarily of Accacia leaves and nectar.

The video also shows the jumping spiders occasionally feeding on an ant species that lives on the trees, so evidently there is still a part of the mythical Kipling panther in the Bagheera kiplingi.

© 2008 Patricia A. Michaels