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A small homage to Maria Sibylla Merian, and new records of spiders (Araneae: Theraphosidae) preying on birds

João Vitor Campos Silva, Fernanda de Almeida Meirelles

Abstract


Spiders have a great potential to prey on small vertebrates. However, detailed events are sparse in the literature. In the current work, two detailed records of Tarantula predation in the Brazilian Amazon are documented. Preying begins by bird’s eyes, which eases the inoculation and spread of the digestive enzymes. Maria Sibylla Merian described the predation of a bird by a Tarantula in a scientific illustration, though her descriptions were labeled as fanciful. The current work makes a small homage to this 17th Century naturalist that challenged the prejudice of her time with her artistic and scientific production.


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