Contact between Myrmarachne (Araneae: Salticidae) and ants

Abstract

Myrmarachne (Araneae: Salticidae) is an ant-mimicking genus of jumping spiders. Myrmarachne species live close to their model ant species, yet they avoid making contact with the ants. However, contact can be unavoidable at times, so the question is what really happens when the ant and the spider make contact. This study found that the consequence of the contact very much depends on which body parts of both animals are involved. The most common form of contact was between the ant's antennae and the spider's first pair of legs. This resulted most frequently in the Myrmarachne running away. In contrast, when the spider's chelicerae were involved the ant would usually run away. The study concludes that even when there is contact between the two, Myrmarachne manages to avoid being attacked by the ant, thus remaining safe.