JungleDragon is a nature and wildlife community for photographers, travellers and anyone who loves nature. We're genuine, free, ad-free and beautiful.

Join

Sphecotypus niger, Finca Heimatlos, Ecuador &quot;Guys look at me, I&#039;m an ant. Just like you! Want to hang out?&quot;<br /> <br /> Only noticed the oddity back home, when zooming. This is a jumping spider mimicking a Hairy Panther Ant (Neoponera villosa). This is what the real ant looks like, photographed a few days earlier:<br /> <figure class="photo"><a href="https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126817/hairy_panther_ant_-_side_view_bellavista_ecuador.html" title="Hairy Panther Ant - side view, Bellavista, Ecuador"><img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.jungledragon.com/images/2/126817_thumb.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=05GMT0V3GWVNE7GGM1R2&Expires=1767225610&Signature=men8wv7rt4O9Or4st0R29mf4%2FVo%3D" width="200" height="134" alt="Hairy Panther Ant - side view, Bellavista, Ecuador Fairly large ant found on a leaf, seemingly drinking something. Large jaws and lengthy antennae.<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126816/large-jawed_ant_bellavista_ecuador.html<br /> The spider that mimicks this species, found a few days later:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/129214/sphecotypus_niger_finca_heimatlos_ecuador.html Bellavista Cloud Forest,Ecuador,Ecuador 2021,Geotagged,Hairy Panther Ant,Neoponera villosa,South America,Spring,World" /></a></figure><br /> Some ant-mimicking spiders aim to blend in with ants in order to prey on them, but that&#039;s not what&#039;s happening here. It&#039;s mimicking an ant known to have a very painful sting, and this away it avoids predation.<br /> <br /> Great photos and info on several ant-mimicking spiders:<br /> <a href="https://www.alexanderwild.com/Ants/Natural-History/Ant-Mimics/" rel="nofollow">https://www.alexanderwild.com/Ants/Natural-History/Ant-Mimics/</a> Ecuador,Ecuador 2021,Finca Heimatlos,Geotagged,South America,Sphecotypus niger,Spring,World Click/tap to enlarge Country intro

Sphecotypus niger, Finca Heimatlos, Ecuador

"Guys look at me, I'm an ant. Just like you! Want to hang out?"

Only noticed the oddity back home, when zooming. This is a jumping spider mimicking a Hairy Panther Ant (Neoponera villosa). This is what the real ant looks like, photographed a few days earlier:

Hairy Panther Ant - side view, Bellavista, Ecuador Fairly large ant found on a leaf, seemingly drinking something. Large jaws and lengthy antennae.<br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/126816/large-jawed_ant_bellavista_ecuador.html<br /> The spider that mimicks this species, found a few days later:<br /> <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/129214/sphecotypus_niger_finca_heimatlos_ecuador.html Bellavista Cloud Forest,Ecuador,Ecuador 2021,Geotagged,Hairy Panther Ant,Neoponera villosa,South America,Spring,World

Some ant-mimicking spiders aim to blend in with ants in order to prey on them, but that's not what's happening here. It's mimicking an ant known to have a very painful sting, and this away it avoids predation.

Great photos and info on several ant-mimicking spiders:
https://www.alexanderwild.com/Ants/Natural-History/Ant-Mimics/

    comments (2)

  1. View Christine Young's profile
    Christine Young
    Lion
    View Lion class
    Haha, 'let's be friends'. Posted 3 years ago
    1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
      Ferdy Christant
      Lion
      View Lion class
      hehe, in hindsight the joke is a little misleading because this spider does not really aim to confront the ant. When meeting a real one, I think the situation would be exactly opposite. Posted 3 years ago

Sign in or Join in order to comment.

The Sphecotypus niger

Sphecotypus niger is a corinnid sac spiders in the Sphecotypus genus. It mimics the Neoponera villosa ant.

Info 2 0
Similar species: Spiders
Species identified by Ferdy Christant
View Ferdy Christant's profile

By Ferdy Christant

All rights reserved
Uploaded Feb 5, 2022. Captured Nov 11, 2021 17:55 in 95J5+WP Parroquia Tarqui, Ecuador.
country flag of Ecuador Explore Ecuador 1,951 985 0
  • NIKON D850
  • f/6.3
  • 1/60s
  • ISO64
  • 105mm