Vampire spider's surprising love for human blood and smelly socks might fight off deadly diseases
The species belongs to the jumping spider family and gained noticeable distinction in 2003. Unconventionally, Evarcha culicivora doesn't weave webs to attract its prey. Instead, this spider, often called a vampire spider, leaps onto its prey during hunting. Predominantly found in Central Africa, particularly Kenya, Uganda, and around Lake Victoria, their appearance is modest -- brownish-gray in color and relatively small, approximately 0.2 inches long.
11:12 AM EST, December 28, 2023
Exploring the vampire spider's unique preferences
The vampire spider's feeding habits are particularly intriguing. Discover Wildlife mentions that the literal translation of "culicivora" is "mosquito eater". This species actively hunts mosquitoes, showing an exciting preference for female mosquitoes that have consumed human blood. As Evarcha culicivora lacks the physical organs necessary to puncture human skin directly, it strategically targets mosquitoes already "sated" with human blood. Further studies on the vampire spider reveal even more eccentricities.
Researchers have studied whether Evarcha culicivora, commonly found in tall grass near human dwellings, is attracted to human odors. As mentioned by Discover Wildlife, clean and dirty socks were used for these analyses. When spiders were placed in chambers where air from clean and dirty sock containers was pumped in, they found that the spiders significantly preferred the scent of dirty socks.
Scientists connect this predisposition with the spider's keen sense of smell, which aids them in discovering potential prey. They suggest that this same sensitivity also attracts the spiders towards blood-filled mosquitoes. This characteristic can potentially help combat disease-carrying mosquitoes, which are known to transmit illnesses like malaria, yellow fever, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya, and the Zika virus.
