idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Nachrichten, Termine, Experten

Grafik: idw-Logo
Science Video Project
idw-Abo

idw-News App:

AppStore

Google Play Store



Instance:
Share on: 
03/14/2016 11:12

More Than Bugs: Spiders Also Like to Eat Vegetarian

Reto Caluori Kommunikation & Marketing
Universität Basel

    Spiders are known to be the classic example of insectivorous predators. Zoologists from the University of Basel, the US and UK have now been able to show that their diet is more diverse than expected. Their findings show that spiders like to spice up their menu with the occasional vegetarian meal. The Journal of Arachnology has published the results.

    Although traditionally viewed as a predator of insects, researchers have become increasingly aware that spiders are not exclusively insectivorous. Some spiders have been shown to enrich their diets by occasionally feasting on fish, frogs or even bats. A new study by Zoologists from the University of Basel, Brandeis University (US) and Cardiff University (UK) now shows evidence of spiders eating plant food as well.

    Plants as diet supplement

    The researchers gathered and documented numerous examples from literature of spiders eating plant food. According to their systematic review, spiders from ten families have been reported feeding on a wide variety of different plant types such as trees, shrubs, weeds, grasses, ferns or orchids. They also show a diverse taste when it comes to the type of plant food: nectar, plant sap, honeydew, leaf tissue, pollen and seeds are all on the menu.

    The most prominent group of spiders engaged in plant-eating are Salticidae – a diurnal spider family with characteristically large anterior median eyes. Salticidae were attributed with up to 60 percent of all plant-eating incidents documented in this study. As plant-dwelling, highly mobile foragers with excellent capability to detect suitable plant food, these spiders seems to be predestined to include some plant food in their diets.

    Global feeding behavior

    Spiders feeding on plants is global in its extent, as such behavior has been reported from all continents except Antarctica. However, it is documented more frequently from warmer areas. The researchers suggest that this might be due to the fact that a larger number of the reports relate to nectar consumption which has its core distribution in warmer areas where plants secreting large amounts of nectar are widespread.

    “The ability of spiders to derive nutrients from plants is broadening the food base of these animals; this might be a survival mechanism helping spiders to stay alive during periods when insects are scarce”, says lead author Martin Nyffeler from the University of Basel in Switzerland. “In addition, diversifying their diet with plant is advantageous from a nutritional point of view, since diet mixing is optimizing nutrient intake.” However, the extent to which the different categories of plant food contribute to the spiders’ diet is still largely unexplored.

    Original source
    Martin Nyffeler, Eric J. Olson, William O.C. Symondson
    Plant-eating by spiders
    Journal of Arachnology (2016) 44: 15-27 | doi: 10.1636/P15-45.1

    Further information
    PD Dr. Martin Nyffeler, University of Basel, Department of Environmental Sciences, Tel. +41 61 702 07 03, email: martin.nyffeler@unibas.ch


    More information:

    https://www.unibas.ch/en/News-Events/News/Uni-Research/More-Than-Bugs--Spiders-A...


    Images

    Adult female jumping spider Maevia inclemens drinking nectar at the extrafloral nectaries of a Prunus shrub. It presses its mouthparts into the nectary opening imbibing nectar.
    Adult female jumping spider Maevia inclemens drinking nectar at the extrafloral nectaries of a Prunu ...
    David E. Hill, Peckham Society, Simpsonville, South Carolina
    None


    Criteria of this press release:
    Journalists, Scientists and scholars
    Biology, Environment / ecology
    transregional, national
    Research results, Scientific Publications
    English


     

    Adult female jumping spider Maevia inclemens drinking nectar at the extrafloral nectaries of a Prunus shrub. It presses its mouthparts into the nectary opening imbibing nectar.


    For download

    x

    Help

    Search / advanced search of the idw archives
    Combination of search terms

    You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.

    Brackets

    You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).

    Phrases

    Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.

    Selection criteria

    You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).

    If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).