What do ant mimic spiders eat?
What do ant mimic spiders eat?
Ant-mimic spiders eat ants, small arthropods, and insects.
Why do jumping spiders mimic green tree ants?
The jumping spider genus Myrmarachne (Salticidae) contains many different morphological ant mimics that resemble a wide variety of ant species. This mimicry enables Myrmarachne to evade ant-averse predators that confuse the spiders with ants.
What type of mimicry is exhibited by a jumping spider mimicking ants?
The jumping spider genus Myrmarachne are Batesian mimics which resemble the morphological and behavioural properties of ants to near perfection.
What are the differences between a spider and an ant?
| Ants (Phylum :Arthropoda; Class: Insecta) | Spiders (Phylum: Arthropoda; Class: Arachnida) |
|---|---|
| 3 pairs of legs present on thorax | 4 pairs of legs present on cephalothorax |
| Antennae present | Antennae absent |
| A pair of eyes present (Absent in some species) | Number of eyes mostly 8 (varies from 2-8) |
| Abdomen segmented | Abdomen not segmented |
What kind of spider is an ant mimic?
Ant-mimicking spider, Myrmarachne species (Araneae : Salticidae), distinguishes its model, the green ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, from a sympatric Batesian O. smaragdina mimic, Riptortus serripes (Hemiptera : Alydidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 57, 305-309. Davies, V.T. & Żabka, M. 1989.
Why does a spider pretend to be an ant?
There are two reasons why a spider would want to mimic an ant: to eat them, and to avoid being eaten by them. The first reason, “ aggressive ant-mimicry ”, is a rare but intriguing phenomenon – and it is employed by spiders to deceive their prey.
What kind of spider will kill an ant?
Aggressive ant-mimicking spiders thus prefer to attack their victims while they are alone. And after killing the ant the spider also has to ensure that other ants do not attack it while it carries the corpse to its nest.
Where do spitting spiders build their webs at?
Spitting spiders typically build their webs above the nests of jumping spiders, carefully positioning them to ensure a direct target. It turns out, however, that if the jumping spider’s nest has been built near that of a weaver ant, the spitting spider stays away.