Ask an Entomologist Ant Mimics · !Smell like the ant (Wasmannian mimicry):Imitate ants chemically by having their scent (pheromones). This way, the mimic can live in the ant colony

1) BugQuizAnswersA. Ant-mimickingcrabspider(Aphantochilusrogersi)

B. Ant-mimickingspider(Castianeirinae:Myrmeciumbolivari)

C. Turtleantsoldier(Cephalotesvarians)à Correctanswer

D. Ant-mimickingkatydidnymph(Tettigoniidae:Macroxiphussp.)

Photocredits:Top(A)&bottom(C)left=AlexWild.Topright(B)=DanielLlavaneras.Bottomright(D)=MuhammadMahdiKarim.

AskanEntomologistAntMimics

AskanEntomologist2)HowtoTellAntsApartfromMimics

A. Countthepairsoflegs(antshave3pairs=6legs!)

B. Antennaeà antsalwayshavegeniculateantennae(“elbowed”or“kneed"antennae)

C. 2nd or3rd abdominalsegmenthas/havehump(s)/nodes

Photoby:DanielLlavaneras Photoby:AlexWild

Photosby:Joanie

antwiki.orgPhotoby:Joanie

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23

4

“Humps”

3)WhyDoOtherArthropodsMimicAnts?A. What?🐜 Antmimicry(myrmecomorphy):Themimicryofants

byotheranimals.

B. Why?🐜 Protectivemimicry:Avoidanceà toescape

predation:AntsareabundantANDtheyaresuccessful

predatorsthatareaggressive,tastebad,and/orsting.

Example:Theant-mimickingkatydids(Macroxiphus

sp.)lookandactlikeantstoavoidpredation.

🐜 Aggressivemimicry:Someorganisms(suchas

spiders)mimictheformandbehaviorofantstohunt

theantstheylooklike.Example:Theant-mimicking

crabspider(Aphantochilusrogersi)lookslikeitsprey,

thegiantturtleant(Cephalotesatratus).

AskanEntomologist

Photos:AlexWild

Aphantochilusrogersi Cephalotesatratus

AskanEntomologist

C.How(tomimicants)?🐜 Smellliketheant(Wasmannianmimicry): Imitateants

chemicallybyhavingtheirscent(pheromones).Thisway,themimiccanliveintheantcolonyandeattheirthemand/ortheiryoung.

🐜 Visuallylooklikeants(Batesianmimicry):Mostpredatorsdon’twanttomesswithants.

🐜 Behavelikeants:It’seasiertofoolyourpreyifyouactlikethem(aggressivemimicry).Antlikebehaviorcanalsomakevisual(Batesian)mimicrymoreconvincing(asinthecaseoftheant-mimickingkatydid).

References:Gwynne,DarrylT. Katydidsandbush-crickets:reproductivebehaviorandevolutionoftheTettigoniidae.CornellUniversityPress,2001.

Hölldobler,Bert,andEdwardO.Wilson. TheAnts.HarvardUniversityPress,1990.

Pasteur,Georges."Aclassificatoryreviewofmimicrysystems." AnnualReviewofEcologyandSystematics 13.1(1982):169-199.

"TheAntthatWasn't(Aphantochilusrogersi)." – TheAntthatWasn’t(Aphantochilusrogersi).N.p.,02Feb.2011.Web.10Aug.2017.

WhileattendingAntCourse2016,Isawthisant-mimickingspiderinAfrica.Oneoftheotherstudentsthoughtthatitwasanantatfirstglace!