SPIDERS scare off insects and help plants boost seed production in exchange for dollops of sugary nectar, say scientists in New Jersey.
Many species of plant produce enticing nectar bonuses known as extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). The EFNs attract ants which defend the plant against leaf-eating insects in return for the sweet treats. Some tropical tree species can die without the ants' protection.
Only a few spiders are known to take an interest in EFNs. To find out more, Steven Handel and Scott Ruhren from the State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick studied the interactions between jumping spiders from the genera
Greenhouse experiments showed the spiders jumped onto plants with active EFNs six times more often than those without, and regularly ate the extra nectar. The plants also benefited from the spiders' presence in ...
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