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dllavaneras — Ant-mimic spider III

Published: 2011-03-01 08:23:28 +0000 UTC; Views: 2926; Favourites: 19; Downloads: 0
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Description Another fantastic ant mimic spider (Araneae: Corinnidae).
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Comments: 20

Dizzy-Oven [2015-10-10 15:36:08 +0000 UTC]

Nice! An ant-spider hybrid. I don't even know how thats possible.

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dllavaneras In reply to Dizzy-Oven [2015-10-12 00:15:25 +0000 UTC]

It's not a hybrid, it's a spider that looks like an ant Evolutionary forces have selected for this trait.

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JonReiskind [2013-03-25 17:34:26 +0000 UTC]

Myrmecium sp.

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trop17 [2011-03-02 02:40:57 +0000 UTC]

great shot!
I love these ant-mimicking spiders.

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dllavaneras In reply to trop17 [2011-04-10 20:33:21 +0000 UTC]

So do I!

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Elric888 [2011-03-02 00:13:59 +0000 UTC]

Nice find!

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dllavaneras In reply to Elric888 [2011-04-10 20:33:29 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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Elric888 In reply to dllavaneras [2011-04-11 07:03:12 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome. I'm still keeping my eyes open for one of these here

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dllavaneras In reply to Elric888 [2011-04-11 15:40:42 +0000 UTC]

I usually find them around ant nests, so you might want to look around!

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Elric888 In reply to dllavaneras [2011-04-11 20:27:12 +0000 UTC]

I'll keep looking, but I have yet to find any mantids around here.

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The-Dude-L-Bug [2011-03-01 17:48:39 +0000 UTC]

Nice shot.
LOL! very tricky, but it's relatively small eyes give it away.

I wonder if it does anything to mask it's scent, because if it doesn't SMELL like an ant, they won't be fooled!!!
We know that like bees, a grabbed ant can send out a homing signal for others of the colony to attack.

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dllavaneras In reply to The-Dude-L-Bug [2011-03-01 23:04:11 +0000 UTC]

I know that other ant-mimics eat the ant larvae and thus assimilate cuticular hydrocarbons so that the other ants recognize them as another colony member*, but I'd have to do more research regarding this family.

* [link]

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The-Dude-L-Bug In reply to dllavaneras [2011-03-02 04:57:50 +0000 UTC]

Very interesting.
After reading that, it only makes sense that the spiders would be taking larva from the minor nestmates.
It's easier for the spiders to just trust the colony's dependance on chemical coding and con the weaker members. The detection ability of the major workers is likely much more discreet and that's why the spiders won't risk trying the same trick on them.

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dllavaneras In reply to The-Dude-L-Bug [2011-03-09 00:34:21 +0000 UTC]

Or they may be able to defeat a minor worker, but not a major one; hence they only take larvae from the ones they know they can defeat.

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mszafran [2011-03-01 10:19:39 +0000 UTC]

That ant has too many legs!

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dllavaneras In reply to mszafran [2011-03-01 22:58:16 +0000 UTC]

Haha, and too many eyes

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mszafran In reply to dllavaneras [2011-03-02 08:44:33 +0000 UTC]

I bet all the other ants made fun of him at school

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dllavaneras In reply to mszafran [2011-03-09 00:33:32 +0000 UTC]

Larvae are cruel.

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mszafran In reply to dllavaneras [2011-03-09 12:33:22 +0000 UTC]

I blame the parents.

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dllavaneras In reply to mszafran [2011-04-09 21:29:52 +0000 UTC]

The ant's aunts and sisters are to blame.

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