Know the spider that "feeds" its young milk

The Tocius Magnus spider resembles an ant and moves like this, producing a milk-like liquid to "feed" its young (Chen Zanki)

Breastfeeding is an exclusive thing in mammals, but scientists have discovered over time other animals that also produce this nutrient-rich eucalyptus to feed their young, including flamingos, cockroaches and males by the emperor. But the newest and unexpected addition to this collection is a type of spiders.

Researchers in China have discovered that the females of the Toxeus magnus spider produce a milk-like liquid to feed their young.

The study, published in the journal Science, also found that maternal spiders continue to provide the liquid, which contains about four times the amount of protein found in cow's milk, for a long time after its children become young adults.

Although spiders do not use mammary glands to produce liquid and are therefore "breastfed" by name only, the results should prompt scientists to reconsider what they know about breastfeeding and how they evolved, according to researchers.

The author of the study, Richard Curtis, a biologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said finding such a mammal-like behavior in the spider or any vertebrates was a surprise.

Spiders are the largest spiders in the world, with more than 5,000 species on almost every continent.

The smaller one, the Toxius Magnus, also known as the "black ant", resembles an ant, walks like it and moves its front legs in the air like an antenna pair in an ant, but jumps when it is threatened or hunted. These species are found mostly in Southeast Asia.