Don’t
worry about the word, “Myrmecomorphy” means any organism mimicking ants. They
mimic for protection –as ants are abundant so predators avoid, or for feeding
on ants. The spiders do it in abundance, bugs, phasmid insects (popularly Stick
insect), mantis, beetles…all have species among them that do Myrmecomorphy.
Most mimicking spiders do it to escape the predators. This one here is female Myrmarchne plataleoides (a jumping
spider) that imitates weaver ants. Look at the fantastic deception of first pair of
legs as fake antennae. The below picture is of weaver ant, it is so difficult to
distinguish!! The most charming is the spider that mimics as if a weaver ant is
carrying another one, it is a masterpiece imitation.
