title: Herbivory in a spider through exploitation of an ant-plant mutualism.
abstract: Spiders are thought to be strict predators. We describe a novel exception: Bagheera kiplingi, a Neotropical jumping spider (Salticidae) that exploits a well-studied ant-plant mutualism, is predominantly herbivorous. From behavioral field observations and stable-isotope analyses, we show that the main diet of this host-specific spider comprises specialized leaf tips (Beltian food bodies; Figure 1A) from Vachellia spp. ant-acacias (formerly Acacia spp.), structures traded for protection in the plant's coevolved mutualism with Pseudomyrmex spp. ants that inhabit its hollow thorns. This is the first report of a spider that feeds primarily and deliberately on plants.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Meehan
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Reudink
authors.forename: T Kurt
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kyser
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Curry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants; D007887:Fabaceae; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D008800:Mexico; D019370:Observation; D013112:Spiders / Q000502:physiology*; D013559:Symbiosis