The World's Only 'Vegetarian' Spider
By: EjazUlHaqBhat
Image: Pexels
There are around 45,000 spiders in the world and all are obligate carnivores, more or less
Image: Pexels
But there is an exception. This spider that goes by the wonderful scientific name of Bagheera kiplingi is 'vegetarian'
Image: Pexels
The spider is a Central American member of the most charismatic family of spiders - the jumping spiders, also known as Salticidae
Image: Pexels
These are hunting spiders - instead of making a silken snare to catch their prey, they chase it down and pounce on it
Image: Pexels
Bagheera kiplingi looks very much like any other jumping spider and shares the same skillset
Image: Pexels
It lives on a particular kind of acacia plant that produces neat little packages called Beltian bodies on the tips of its leaflets
Image: Pexels
Accounting for around 90 per cent of the spider's diet, these tiny bundles of protein and fat represent a complete meal
Image: Pexels
The spider eats mostly acacia Beltian bodies, which are mini-vegetables found on acacia shrubs
Image: Pexels
ndtv.com