How is Jumping Spider milk produced?

Which jumping spider makes milk?

The species is Toxeus magnus, a jumping spider from tropical and subtropical Asia. The finding was reported by researchers in China in the journal Science in November 2018. It does not apply to jumping spiders in general.

How is the milk produced?

The milk comes from the epigastric furrow, a crease on the underside of the mother’s abdomen,. Pressing it gently squeezes out a tiny bead of white liquid. The researchers describe it as containing sugar, fat and protein, the same families of nutrients as mammal milk. Press coverage said its protein content was about four times that of cow milk; treat exact numbers with caution, since reports differ.

How do the young drink it?

• Roughly the first week after hatching: the mother leaves droplets around the nest and the spiderlings drink them.
• Later: they press against her body and suck milk directly.
• First 20 days: milk is their only food.
• After that: they begin hunting but keep nursing for nearly three more weeks, so nursing lasts about 40 days.

Is it really milk?

Scientists call it milk because it is a nutrient liquid made by the mother’s body to feed her young over a long period. It is not mammal milk and the spider is not a mammal. Other animals, such as tsetse flies and pigeons, also make milk-like foods for their young.

What happens without it?

In lab experiments, sealing the mother’s furrow at hatching killed all spiderlings within about 10 days. Sealing it at day 20 still lowered survival. With milk, 76 percent of spiderlings in lab nests reached adulthood.

Can people drink it?

No. The amounts are tiny and it is not a food product. It is a research finding, not a food product.