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Slender crab spider eating a piece of apple!

When I first saw this, I had no idea there were spiders (besides Bagheera kiplingi) who would eat fruit of any kind. After some research, I learned that many spiders do in fact take nectar from flowers and have been known to eat various fruits in captivity. I sometimes placed bits of apple out to attract wasps so I could watch them, and in this case the result was most unexpected. The spider had chosen to feed on a "crumb" of apple discarded by one of the wasps an hour or two earlier. It had browned, but there was still plenty of juice left for the spider apparently. She spent nearly half an hour feeding, maneuvering the crumb deftly with her palps. Eager to see if others of the same species would do similar, I tried to feed them apples, grapes, and some other fruit. Several did indeed take them. I've observed and photographed wolf spiders as well as grass spiders eating fruit too.



Meta Data

Image: ./img2087.jpg
Format: JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group JFIF format)
Make: Canon
date:create: 2012-01-11T19:18:55-08:00
ExposureTime: 1/200
FNumber: 35/10
FocalLength: 16100/1000
ISOSpeedRatings: 80
Make: Canon
Model: Canon PowerShot SX120 IS