What's this?

[maarrrrr]

It was rappelling from the ceiling using silk

[buthus]

Myrmarachne sp. ?

[C_Strike]

looks like some kind of Myrmarachne sp.. maybe formicaria, not sure on its native habitat though. im pretty sure its around your area
An ant mimic spider.. from the family Salticidae
Then again i could be far off

[KUJordan]

An ant mimic spider.. from the family Salticidae
Then again i could be far off

Nope you're not. That is exactly what that little gem is!

[alkarlosse]

That's it, indeed. A wonderful creature and a great example of evolution :)

Take care of it :)

[maarrrrr]

So its not an ant?

[lucanidae]

Are you sure it is a Salticidae? Many families commonly mimic ants, including Clubionidae. I don't see the huge AME that would show it to be a Salticid...

[cacoseraph]

So its not an ant?

no. it is an ant mimicking spider! the spider looks like an ant because it eats ants, or it borrows the ants' reputation so other predators will leave it alone, or maybe for another reason

VERY COOL!

the first or second pair of legs is adapted to be held to look like little ant antenna. the body segments are adapted to look like three body segments (like and insect) instead of two like the spider really has.

man, that is neat!

[Scorpendra]

you found it hanging from the ceiling from silk? someone better give that little guy some lessons on ant mimicking :shame:

[alkarlosse]

It's fine, as long as nobody noticed ;)

[C_Strike]

Are you sure it is a Salticidae? Many families commonly mimic ants, including Clubionidae. I don't see the huge AME that would show it to be a Salticid...

That might be so, but if it is indeed myrmarachne, then it is salticidae..
Thats my workings, hehe:)

[lucanidae]

Myrmarachne females have very flattend chelicerae, which this specimen does not. M. formicaria is native to Europe but has been introduced into the U.S. Plus, Myrmarachne, like all salticids have very distinct AME which should be easily seen in this photo, but are not.

[lucanidae]

I'd be willing to bet Zodariidae or possibly Oonopidae, maybe even the Corrinidae genus Myrmecotypus.

[RodG]

Great find:clap: Let us know how it does:cool:

[C_Strike]

Ahh, well il keep hold of that lil info from now:) I did say that i wasnt sure of where they were from

many thanks!:worship:

[KUJordan]

I know it's very difficult to see the AME's on this little fella' from the angle the picture was taken. If we could get a better pic of its face then we could easily confirm or reject Salticidae. Aren't Salticid's AMEs (on ant mimickers) very well camouflaged with the rest of the cephalothorax- to where you really can only see their shape instead of the average one's eyes that are very reflective?

[kahoy]

oh come'on look at the pedipalps, its way too bulky and looks like hairy, it is a salticid.

[lucanidae]

I know it's very difficult to see the AME's on this little fella' from the angle the picture was taken. If we could get a better pic of its face then we could easily confirm or reject Salticidae. Aren't Salticid's AMEs (on ant mimickers) very well camouflaged with the rest of the cephalothorax- to where you really can only see their shape instead of the average one's eyes that are very reflective?

http://www.smugmug.com/keyword/all/mimicking#105010251
http://www.pbase.com/gehyra/image/33574117
http://www.pbase.com/larena/image/69150772

Most ant mimicking salticids have very apparent AME's as shown in the pictures I linked too above.

oh come'on look at the pedipalps, its way too bulky and looks like hairy, it is a salticid.

Bulky and hairy palps in an ant mimicker don't help at all in family identification. Although I'm willing to accept the spider as a salticid, it wouldn't be on characters that don't have any ID'ing usefulness.

Here you can see an ant mimicking Salticide with neither bulky nor hair palps.
http://www.pbase.com/larena/image/69150772

[kahoy]

Here you can see an ant mimicking Salticide with neither bulky nor hair palps.
http://www.pbase.com/larena/image/69150772


just remove the two large eyes and it will be an ant... :p

lucanidae, do you have any links or pdf where i can find some local jumpers list in PH?

[desert solifuge]

I know nobody will probably reply this, but anyway I think this is Aphantochilus actually a Thomisidae, I know that if you understand something about spiders you might disagree, but I know a lot a about spider and it really look like a Aphantochilus, but check www.vidanaterra.info in Thomisidae and see for your own...

[lucanidae]

Aphantochilus is only found in Central and South America, nowhere near where this specimen was found. Sorry, but I think the locality is wrong.

[KUJordan]

Guess what!? You can actually see the AME's very well on this exact Salticid. I didn't realize it until now, but they are there and are as big and bright as any other Salticid ant mimicer around. I can't believe we've all missed them until now!

[NRF]

The large AME:s are not easy to see on this photo but would I agree with KUJordan that they are large and present. What is also present and to me very convincing are the PLE:s which are far back on the carapace, which to my knowledege isn't the case in any other ant mimicing spiders than Salticidae.
(sorry for copying and modifying the pic without permission :) )

[lucanidae]

Weird. I agree with you on the PLE, but my screen must be dim or my colors off because I can't see the AME's even with the arrows. :? I can kinda see the structure above them that would suggest they are there.

[KUJordan]

NRF- that's exactly what I saw as the AME's the other day! Glad we got this cleared up. So Salticidae it is...