Veg diet of spiders
Spiders, a
group of predominantly insectivorous predators, occasionally use plant food to
supplement their insect prey. Martin Nyffeler, Eric J. Olson and William O.C.
Symondson reviewed the literature and found that using plant as food by spiders
are common. After reviewing 95 reports they concluded more than 60% spiders
belongs to ten families are using plants in their diet. Spiders feed on a wide
diversity of plant-derived products including floral nectar, extrafloral
nectar, stigmatic exudate, plant sap, honeydew, seeds, Beltian bodies,
Müllerian bodies and pollen (originating from very different plant types such
as coniferous and deciduous trees, herbaceous plants and shrubs, annual weeds,
grasses, climbing plants, orchids, carnivorous plants, and ferns).However, why
spiders are including plants in their diet and what is the effect of herbal
diet on physiology of spiders are still unknown and area to be explored.
Present
cartoon is based on above research.
Journal Reference: Nyffeler et al (2016),
Plant-eating by spiders, Journal of Arachnology, 44(1):15-27 http://dx.doi.org/10.1636/P15-45.1
