Myrmarachne plataleoides

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kerengga Ant-like Jumper

Male Spider

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Araneae
Suborder:	Araneomorphae
Family:	Salticidae
Subfamily:	Myrmarachninae
Tribe:	Myrmarachnini
Genus:	Myrmarachne
Species:	M. plataleoides

Binomial name

Myrmarachne plataleoides
(O. P.-Cambridge, 1869)

The Kerengga Ant-like Jumper, Myrmarachne plataleoides is a jumping spider that mimics the Kerengga or weaver ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) in morphology and behaviour. This species is found in India, Sri Lanka, China and many parts of Southeast Asia.

[edit] Description

The Kerengga Ant-like Jumpers look like the weaver ants in size, shape and colour (especially the females). Like all other spiders they have two body segments and eight legs but appear like an ant, an insect with three body segments and six legs, by having constrictions on the cephalothorax and abdomen. It create the illusion of having a distinct head, thorax and gaster of the weaver ant, complete with a long and slender waist. They mimic the large compound eyes of the weaver ant with two black patches on the head. For most of the time they walk like ants and also wave their front legs like antennae to mimic the ants. These jumping-spiders jump only when their safety is threatened.

They are sexually dimorphic. Females measuring about 6-7 mm are the best mimics of the weaver ants while the males measure about 9-12mm in length with elongated chelicerae that may be one-third to half their body length. These elongated chelicerae are a secondary sexual characterstic of the males. The males use their long fangs like swords to fight off rivals. They can split their jaws, normally held close, to unfold their fangs when required. The males make a clumsy mimic of the weaver ants but they are said to resemble a larger ant carrying a smaller one.

The spiders live in trees and bushes where the ants live in colonies. By mimicking the ants they get to stay close to the ants and are protected from predators because many usually avoide the notorious weaver ants which have a painful sting and also taste bad. Though these spiders mimic the weaver ants very well they are known to stay away from them. They weave a thin web on leaves, hide under their webbing and ambush their prey.