Protective mimicry is seen in many animals, such as moths that develop coloured patches to appear like butterflies. Now a team of researchers from Cornell University has found that spiders mimic ant behaviour in order to avoid predator attacks. This is believed to be an example of adaptive evolution.
While ants have stinging bites and formic acid to help them ward off predators, spiders have no such defence mechanisms. So a species of spider – Myrmarachne formicaria – as the name suggests, has taken to rubbing their forelegs to mimic the way ants rub their antennas. They also walk in a trail like ants do.
While the mimicry is apparent to the researcher who uses high-speed cameras, it fools the predator into thinking they are a trail of ants and sparing them.
