First vegetarian spider found in Americas

Bagheera kiplingi, which is 5-6mm long, is the first-known predominantly vegetarian spider out of some 40,000 arachnids, said the research in journal Current Biology.

    The research found the spider eats nutrient-rich structures called Beltian bodies on the tips of Acacia trees, which are packed full of protein.

    Professor Robert Curry from Villanova University in the U.S., one of the study's authors, said there were many reasons why this spider might have abandoned meaty diets.

    "They are jumping spiders, so they don't build a web to catch food, so they have to catch their prey through pursuit. And the Beltian bodies are not moving, ... so it is a very predictable food supply"; Kazinform cites Xinhua.

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