SPIDERS: The Ant-Mimicking Imposter

Ant-mimicking jumping spiders are the best masters of disguise. They blend into an army of busy ants following their trail, raising their front pair of legs mimicking antennas, attaining impersonation to the ultimate level. It is a defense against predators and food hunting (stealing the ants larvae).

1) Corinnomma sp. - This is an ant-mimicking sac spider. They are small and fast moving, and not easy to spot. They share the same playground as the black ants. They are so similar that it is difficult to spot them camouflaging within the ant colony. The difference is that this body has two segments, whereas for the ants, they have three segments. (pending reshoot)

Below is another sac spider master of disguise which had managed to smoked me, got me thinking that it was just another ant. I had only one shot before it hurried away.

2) Myrmaplata plataleoides - This is the closest imposter I had encountered that resembles a Red-weaver Ant. These guys are always lurking around the weaver ants nest mostly for protection. The males have an enlarged and longer jaws compared to the females.

3) Toxeus maxillosus - This is another imposter that mimics the Black-weaver Ant. And they too, hang around in places where the black ants are. The males also have an enlarged and longer jaws than the females.

To be continue...... *in the process of hunting still*

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EXPLORING NATURE & WILDLIFE OF SOUTHEAST ASIA

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