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Ant-Mimicking Jumping Spider (Salticid) - Peckhamia ( Nhện Kiến )

Some scientists believe that by mimicking ants, the spiders deceive their ant-models and prey either on the ants themselves, or on the homopteran bugs "tended" by the ants. However, it should be noted that the ant-mimicking Jumping Spiders in Singapore have never been observed to have attacked the ants they imitate. A more plausible explanation is that by copying the physical appearance of ants, the ant-mimicking Jumping Spiders are actually buying insurance for self-protection, since spider-hunting wasps, birds and other spider-predators generally avoid ants which secrete the distasteful formic acid when attacked.

( From : habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/spiders/text/Myrmarachn... )

 

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Uploaded on October 4, 2010
Taken on October 4, 2010