December 1, 2014
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmThese Amazing Spiders Look Remarkably Like Ants [Slide Show]
Ant-mimicking spiders are the ultimate imposters
By Kate Wong
On supporting science journalism
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You may have heard of the scarlet king snake that masquerades as the venomous coral snake or the mimic octopus, which impersonates the deadly lionfish. Now meet the spiders that have evolved to resemble ants. They are among nature’s most fascinating fraudsters. In the December Scientific American Ximena Nelson of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand describes the extraordinary lengths these arachnids—members of the genus Myrmarachne—go to in order to convince observers they are ants, even waving their front two legs above their heads to give the appearance of antennae. Images of these remarkable spiders—which are quite difficult to photograph because they move so quickly—follow in the slide show below.
>>View a slide show of ant-mimicking spiders
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