One hypothesis confirmed?

 

I just received word yesterday on the results of a stable isotope analysis performed at The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia, and a preliminary review of the data appears to confirm my hypotheses that Bagheera prosper, a resident of Oklahoma and Texas and considered the closest known relative of Bagheera kiplingi, is, in fact, a carnivore, with nitrogen and carbon isotope profiles that are similar to other jumping spiders in the area. What remains unresolved is the similarity in appearance between Bagheera prosper (a male is pictured above) with the distantly related Eris militaris (pictured below), which is also found in the same area.

 

I had also hypothesized that Bagheera prosper uses its coloration to prey on Eris militaris, appearing to be a member of the same species until it is too late, and the initial results might give some indication that this is the case; however, I will need to do some video recording sometime in the future to document such a scenario. I did have a good time at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station when I collected my samples, but at the moment, Central America takes a higher priority, because that is where the vegetarian spiders live!