Phidippus Audax....and Cereal?

[TheTyro]

I plopped a piece of cereal into my male Audax's cage for the crickets to eat and walked away.

Few minutes later I come back and see him sort of on the cereal. I assumed he was just on it, but then wondered if he was trying to eat it. ( an amusing idea in my mind) but I didn't really think he was. I grab my flashlight and shine it to see if he was secreting that fluid for digestion and sure enough he was. Lots of shimmery fluid going from his mouth to the surface of the cereal. I took a few photos but you can't see it very well at all.

So anyone know what he was doing? About a minute after he decided to move on...but was he actually trying to suck up some cereal smoothie, or just...investigating...or needing something in it real quick?

 

[Malhavoc's]

this isnt the first time I've seen a post coe up about true spiders and odd diets, Chances are the sugar of the ceral ay of been sticking to the spider and it was attempting to groom and remove the sticky substance. I do not know if any studies have been done on spiders eating such things. but I can't imagion it would gain much from trying to consume it.

 

[cacoseraph]

some spiders are known to eat plant material

there is a mexican species that eats newly forming acacia thorns, iirc

 

[TheTyro]

I have heard of some spiders doing that, I remember something about spiders and nectar but I'll probably have to look it up. The cereal was one of those health ones, not some kids brand. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals etc. The grooming thing is possible, I see him slobbering and cleaning his legs all the time. So cat like in their desire to be pristine!

It was the duration and amount of fluid that was so fascinating, I may post the pictures soon. It seemed purposeful, the way he was situated on it.

Kind of gross, but a cricket came by and ate his slobbered part of the cereal. Lol. Yum.

 

[Malhavoc's]

Health ceral?

If it is indeed full of health content. vitamins, minerals etc. he could very well of been able to detect those and be trying to ingest them. after all. birds eat rocks. lizard eat rocks. as caco said, some spiders eat plants?

I'm glad you got some pix indeed post the up! a video would be awesome too. nothing like documentation of the undocumented

 

[TheTyro]

These pictures really suck. But this was the best I could do with what I had. So here he is.

They are in order too. After that last picture he wandered away. Probably didnt like the flash too much. I really wish you could see the drool better ( I think the second one shows a sliiight glimmer of it), there was quite a bit. But if I had zoomed in anymore he would be even more pixelated than he already is.

I cant wait to get good camera.

 

[jsloan]

I have heard of some spiders doing that, I remember something about spiders and nectar but I'll probably have to look it up.

There was a recent article in the Journal of Arachnology on that very subject: Plant Nector Increases Survival, Molting, and Foraging in Two Foliage Wandering Spiders, by Robin M. Taylor & Richard A. Bradley, 2009, Volume 37 pages 232-237.

 

[TheTyro]

There was a recent article in the Journal of Arachnology on that very subject: Plant Nector Increases Survival, Molting, and Foraging in Two Foliage Wandering Spiders, by Robin M. Taylor & Richard A. Bradley, 2009, Volume 37 pages 232-237.

Thank you very much! I knew it was somewhere out there. Kind of crazy how much we are still learning about the creatures that have been living around us so long. It's really until someone just observes specimens for like...their lifetime in the wild that we can really learn anything. Man I wish I could get paid for the hours I have spent staring at them.

Gotta find me a Journal of Arachnology.

 

[jsloan]

Gotta find me a Journal of Arachnology.

Most of the issues are online and available for free download:

http://www.americanarachnology.org/JOA_online.html#issues

 

[TheTyro]

Most of the issues are online and available for free download:

http://www.americanarachnology.org/JOA_online.html#issues

Thank you for the link! I'll definitely be looking at that when I get to a real computer.

I just realized I have been rummaging through your stuff on Bug Guide! You guys are like...my heroes haha. Delving into the secret worlds of spiders. It took until right now to make the connection. Thank you for your help

Is the verdict...Phidippus Audax probably eats cereal? Haha. I have to get a better camera so I can really catch him in the act!

 

[buthus]

Was the cereal moist?
Spiders will often start suckin on old kill carcasses when the carcasses soak up some h2o. Ive only seen this with Theridiidae, but gotta figure others do it too. For water ..most likely ..food?..probably.

 

[TheTyro]

Nah, it was pretty dry when I put it in. The soil was damp but not enough where the cereal would puff up or anything. The piece had only been in there like 25 minutes max. The crickets had only nibbled it before he had his turn.

I've seen this same jumper do that with one of those flies that mimicks a bee. He sucked it dry, then sucked his head till it was empty and then clipped it off. He looooveed it. Wish I had more.

 

[ZergFront]

I don't know why it's so impossible for some to think a spider would willingly eat something unusual. Might not be healthy but we haven't really gone into too much depth about spider nutrition. I've had one true spider that drank honey from the bare bottom of her container and even a gypsy moth caterpillar that found a drip of chocolate on my desk and ate it!

Looked to me like that jumper was at least testing that food out.

 

[TheTyro]

It's up to us curious folks to find that out then haha. The consensus with peoples observations is that they do. Really neat, the things you never knew about spiders until you have one for a pet.

One day I'll take good quality video while he tries eating something "unusual"

 

[ZergFront]

One day I'll take good quality video while he tries eating something "unusual"

haha, just be careful. I have heard on some forums of people giving their tarantulas grape and it making them disoriented.

...or was it crickets? :?

 

[dtknow]

There was a recent article in the Journal of Arachnology on that very subject: Plant Nector Increases Survival, Molting, and Foraging in Two Foliage Wandering Spiders, by Robin M. Taylor & Richard A. Bradley, 2009, Volume 37 pages 232-237.

What species? Someone should try offering nextar or similar to aptive jumping or lynx spiders.

 

[TheTyro]

haha, just be careful. I have heard on some forums of people giving their tarantulas grape and it making them disoriented.

...or was it crickets? :?

I hope it wasn't grapes for crickets

Sadly the Phid Audax in these pictures dided today. R.I.P

 

[Widowman10]

Sadly the Phid Audax in these pictures dided today. R.I.P

died cause it ate too much cereal...

Was the cereal moist?
Spiders will often start suckin on old kill carcasses when the carcasses soak up some h2o. Ive only seen this with Theridiidae, but gotta figure others do it too. For water ..most likely ..food?..probably.

i've observed this too with theriids. pretty interesting really.

 

[ZergFront]

died cause it ate too much cereal...



i've observed this too with theriids. pretty interesting really.

Hmmm.... guess he couldn't take the fiber.