Ladybirds And Ladybird Spiders
Photo credit: LiCheng Shih
Spiders are so amazing they have a popular fictional superhero named after them. The ladybird (aka ladybug) is special, too. It does not have its own superhero, but it does have real spiders named after it. These spiders belong to the genus Paraplectana. They are a group of spiders that have evolved to look like like ladybirds.The mimicry is necessary, considering that many predatory birds avoid ladybirds.
This is because ladybirds contain toxic chemicals that emit a terrible odor when crushed and leave a nasty, lingering taste in the mouth of the bird. This had made many birds develop a strong distaste for the ladybird. Aside from spiders, a few other insects, like the ladybird-mimic fungus beetle, have also evolved to look like ladybirds.
I like ladybugs, but not to eat, of course. I didn't know that birds found them to taste bad, though. Spiders...not so much.
Coffee inside this morning.Gonna rain again, they say.
