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Ant mimicry or myrmecomorphy is
mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...
of
ant Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...
s by other organisms; it has evolved over 70 times. Ants are abundant all over the world, and potential
predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...
s that rely on vision to identify their prey, such as
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s and
wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder ...
s, normally avoid them, because they are either unpalatable or aggressive. Some
arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...
s mimic ants to escape predation (
Batesian mimicry Batesian mimicry is a form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a predator of them both. It is named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, who worked on butt ...
), while some predators of ants, especially spiders, mimic them anatomically and behaviourally in
aggressive mimicry Aggressive mimicry is a form of mimicry in which predation, predators, parasites, or parasitoids share similar signalling theory, signals, using a harmless model, allowing them to avoid being correctly identified by their prey or host (biolog ...
. Ant mimicry has existed almost as long as ants themselves; the earliest ant mimics in the fossil record appear in the mid-
Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
alongside the earliest ants. In
myrmecophily thumb , Myrmecophilous aphids being tended by ants Myrmecophily ( , ) consists of positive, mutualistic, interspecies associations between ants and a variety of other organisms, such as plants, other arthropods, and fungi. It may also incl ...
, mimic and model live commensally together; in the case of ants, the mimic is an
inquiline In zoology, an inquiline (from Latin ''inquilinus'', "lodger" or "tenant") is an animal that lives commensally in the nest, burrow, or dwelling place of an animal of another species. For example, some organisms, such as insects, may live in the ...
in the ants' nest. Such mimics may in addition be Batesian or aggressive mimics. To overcome ants' powerful defences, mimics may imitate ants chemically with ant-like
pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...
s, visually, or by imitating an ant's surface microstructure to defeat the ants' tactile inspections.


Types


Batesian mimicry

Batesian mimics lack strong defences of their own, and make use of their resemblance to a well-defended
model A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin , . Models can be divided in ...
, in this case ants, to avoid being attacked by their
predators Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...
. A special case is where the predator is itself an ant, so that only two species are involved. The mimicry can be extremely close: for instance, Dipteran flies in the genus '' Syringogaster'' "strikingly" resemble ''
Pseudomyrmex ''Pseudomyrmex'' is a genus of stinging, wasp-like ants in the subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae. They are large-eyed, slender ants, found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of the New World. Distribution and habitat ''Pseudomyrmex'' is predomi ...
'' and are hard even for experts to distinguish "until they take flight". Insects that do not share the narrow-waisted body plan of ants are sometimes elaborately camouflaged to improve their resemblance. For example, the thick waist of the Mirid ant bug ''
Myrmecoris gracilis ''Myrmecoris gracilis'' is a species of flightless Hemipteran bug from the family Miridae. The genus '' Mymecoris '' is monotypic with one Palaearctic species. It differs in its outward appearance and way of life from other "grass bugs" in the S ...
'' has white markings at the front of its abdomen and the back of its thorax, making it look ant-waisted. File:Ant Mimicry Types.svg,
Batesian mimicry Batesian mimicry is a form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a predator of them both. It is named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, who worked on butt ...
versus
myrmecophily thumb , Myrmecophilous aphids being tended by ants Myrmecophily ( , ) consists of positive, mutualistic, interspecies associations between ants and a variety of other organisms, such as plants, other arthropods, and fungi. It may also incl ...
as other species mimic ants Over 300 spider species mimic the social behaviours, morphological features and predatory behaviour of ants. Many genera of jumping spiders (Salticidae) mimic ants. Jumping spiders in the genus ''
Myrmarachne ''Myrmarachne'' is a genus of ant-mimicking jumping spiders that was first described by W. S. MacLeay in 1839. They are commonly called ant-mimicking spiders, but they are not the only spiders that have this attribute. The name is a combination ...
'' are Batesian mimics which resemble the morphological and behavioural properties of ants to near perfection. These spiders mimic the behavioural features of ants such as adopting their zig-zag locomotion pattern. Further, they create an antennal illusion by waving their first or second pair of legs in the air. The slender bodies of these spiders make them more agile, allowing them to easily escape from predators. Studies on this genus have revealed that the major selection force is the avoidance of ants by predators such as
spider wasp Wasps in the family Pompilidae are commonly called spider wasps, spider-hunting wasps, or pompilid wasps. The family is cosmopolitan, with some 5,000 species in six subfamilies. Nearly all species are solitary (with the exception of some group-ne ...
s and other larger jumping spiders. Ant mimicry has a cost, given the body plan of spiders: the body of spider myrmecomorphs is much narrower than non-mimics, reducing the number of eggs per eggsac, compared to non-mimetic spiders of similar size. They seem to compensate by laying more eggsacs over their lifetimes. A study of three species of
mantises Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate a ...
suggested that they innately avoided ants as prey, and that this aversion extends to ant-mimicking jumping spiders. jumping spider Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family (biology), family Salticidae. , this family contained over 600 species description, described genus, genera and over 6,000 described species, making it the largest family of spide ...
s that are Batesian mimics of ants"> File:Ant-mimicry_of_a_Jumping_spider_(Diolenius_phrynoides)_(5356424922).jpg, '' Diolenius phrynoides'' File:Edwards Sarinda hentzi 01.jpg, ''
Sarinda hentzi ''Sarinda hentzi'' is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae Jumping spiders are a group of spiders that constitute the family (biology), family Salticidae. , this family contained over 600 species description, described genus, ...
'' File:Genus Synageles Spider (cropped).jpg, ''
Synageles ''Synageles'' is a genus of Salticidae, jumping spiders that was first described by Eugène Simon, Eugène Louis Simon in 1876. Species it contains nineteen species, found in the Old World from Spain to China, with one found in northern Africa ...
'' Batesian mimicry of ants appears to have evolved even in certain plants, as a visual anti-herbivory strategy. ''
Passiflora ''Passiflora'', known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 550 species of flowering plants, the type genus of the family Passifloraceae. ''Passiflora'' species are widely cultivated for their striking flowers, fla ...
'' flowers of at least 22 species, such as '' P. incarnata'', have dark dots and stripes on their flowers for this purpose. File:Passiflora incarnata (detail).jpg, It has been suggested that the elongated spots on the reproductive organs of ''
Passiflora incarnata ''Passiflora incarnata'', commonly known as maypop, purple passionflower, true passionflower, wild apricot, and wild passion vine, is a fast-growing Perennial plant, perennial vine with climbing or trailing stems. A member of the passionflower ge ...
'' and related species are ant-mimicking to deter herbivores.


Myrmecophily

Some arthropods are myrmecophilic, meaning they live in close association with ant colonies. They are not necessarily visual mimics, but often impersonate ants through non-visual means, including touch, behaviour, and pheromones. The mimicry allows them to live unharmed within ant nests, some beetles even marching with the aggressive ''
Eciton burchellii ''Eciton burchellii'' is a species of New World army ant in the genus '' Eciton''. This species performs expansive, organized swarm raids that give it the informal name, ''Eciton'' army ant. This species displays a high degree of worker polymor ...
'' army ants. The Jesuit priest
Erich Wasmann Erich Wasmann (29 May 1859 in Merano − 27 February 1931 in Valkenburg, Netherlands) was an Austrian (born in South Tyrol) Jesuit priest and entomologist, specializing in ants and termites. He described the phenomenon known as Wasmannian mim ...
, who discovered ant mimicry, listed 1,177 myrmecophiles in 1894; many more such species have been discovered since then. The cricket '' Myrmecophilus acervorum'' was one of the earliest myrmecophiles to be studied; its relationship with ants was first described by the Italian naturalist
Paolo Savi Paolo Savi (11 July 1798 – 5 April 1871) was an Italian geologist and ornithologist. Biography Savi was born in Pisa, the son of Gaetano Savi, professor of botany at the University of Pisa. The younger Savi became assistant lecturer in zoo ...
in 1819. It has many ant species as hosts, and occurs in large and small morphs suited to large hosts like ''
Formica ''Formica'' is a genus of ants of the subfamily Formicinae, including species commonly known as wood ants, mound ants, thatching ants, and field ants. ''Formica'' is the type genus of the Formicidae, and of the subfamily Formicinae. The type ...
'' and ''
Myrmica ''Myrmica'' is a genus of ants within the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is widespread throughout the temperate regions of the Holarctic realm, Holarctic and high mountains in Southeast Asia. The genus consists of around 200 known species and additio ...
'', and the small workers of species such as ''
Lasius ''Lasius'' is a genus of formicine ants. The type species for this genus is the black garden ant, '' Lasius niger''. Other major members, which live in drier heathland, are the cornfield ant, '' L. neoniger'', and '' L. alienus''. Other species ...
''. On first arriving in an ants' nest, the crickets are attacked by the workers, and are killed if they do not run fast enough. Within a few days, however, they adjust their movements to match those of their hosts, and are then tolerated. Mimicry appears to be achieved by a combination of social releasers (signals), whether by imitating the ants' solicitation (begging) signals with suitable behaviour or ant pheromones with suitable chemicals; Hölldobler and Wilson propose that Wasmannian mimicry, where the mimic lives alongside the model, be redefined to permit any such combination, making it essentially a synonym for myrmecophily.
Mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...
s are among the most speciose mimics of ants, and can occur in large numbers in an ant colony. A single colony of ''
Eciton burchellii ''Eciton burchellii'' is a species of New World army ant in the genus '' Eciton''. This species performs expansive, organized swarm raids that give it the informal name, ''Eciton'' army ant. This species displays a high degree of worker polymor ...
'' army ants may contain some 20,000
inquiline In zoology, an inquiline (from Latin ''inquilinus'', "lodger" or "tenant") is an animal that lives commensally in the nest, burrow, or dwelling place of an animal of another species. For example, some organisms, such as insects, may live in the ...
mites. The phoretic mite '' Planodiscus'' (
Uropodidae Uropodidae is a family of mites in the order Mesostigmata. Description As part of superfamily Uropodoidea, Uropodidae are tortoise-like mites with an oval to circular outline, and with armour both dorsally and ventrally. They can be distinguis ...
) attaches itself to the tibia of its host ant, ''
Eciton hamatum ''Eciton hamatum'' is a species of army ant in the subfamily Dorylinae; it is found from Mexico to central Brazil and Bolivia. The species differs from ''Eciton burchellii'', in that it does not fan out into the underbrush when foraging. Rather ...
''. The cuticular sculpturing of the mite's body as seen under the
electron microscope An electron microscope is a microscope that uses a beam of electrons as a source of illumination. It uses electron optics that are analogous to the glass lenses of an optical light microscope to control the electron beam, for instance focusing it ...
strongly resembles the sculpturing of the ant's leg, as do the arrangements and number of the bristles (setae). Presumably, the effect is that when the ant grooms its leg, the tactile sensation is as it would be in mite-free grooming. The snail '' Allopeas myrmekophilos'' lives in colonies of the army ant ''
Leptogenys distinguenda ''Leptogenys'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. ''Leptogenys'' is the most diverse ponerine ant genus in the world; it is widespread throughout tropical and subtropical regions and there are over 260 extant species described. Most s ...
''. The snails live in bivouacs of the ants except when the colony migrates, during which the ants carry along the snails. ''A. myrmekophilos'' feeds on the meat of animals killed by the ants.


Lycaenid butterflies

Some 75% of lycaenid butterfly species are myrmecophiles, their larvae and pupae living as social parasites in ant nests. These lycaenids mimic the brood
pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...
and the
alarm call "Alarm Call" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her third studio album ''Homogenic'' (1997). It was released as the fourth single from the album, peaking at number 33 in the United Kingdom. The sped-up radio edit of the song was us ...
of ants so they can integrate themselves into the nest. In '' Aloeides dentatis'' the tubercles release the mimicking pheromone which deceives its host, the ant ''Acantholepis caprensis'', into caring for the mimics as they would their own brood. In these relationships,
worker ant Ants are eusocial insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part b ...
s give the same preference to the lycaenids as they do to their own brood, demonstrating that chemical signals produced by the mimic are indistinguishable to the ant. Larvae of the mountain Alcon blue, ''
Phengaris rebeli ''Phengaris rebeli'' (formerly ''Maculinea rebeli''), common name mountain Alcon blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It was first found and described in Styria, Austria, on Mount Hochschwab around 1700. Although it was init ...
'', similarly mimic ''Myrmica'' ants and feed on their brood.


Parasitoid wasps

The parasitoid wasp '' Gelis agilis'' (
Ichneumonidae The Ichneumonidae, also known as ichneumon wasps, ichneumonid wasps, ichneumonids, or Darwin wasps, are a family of parasitoid wasps of the insect order Hymenoptera. They are one of the most diverse groups within the Hymenoptera with roughly 25 ...
) shares many similarities with the ant ''
Lasius niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state bordered by Libya to the north-east, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the south-west, Mali to the wes ...
''. ''G. agilis'' is a wingless wasp which exhibits multi-trait mimicry of garden ants, imitating the ant's morphology, behaviour, and surface chemicals that serve as pheromones,
cuticular hydrocarbons Insects (from Latin ') are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, ...
. When threatened it releases a toxic chemical similar to the ant's alarm pheromone. This multi-trait mimicry serves to protect ''G. agilis'' both from ants and (in Batesian mimicry) from ground predators such as
wolf spider Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae (), named for their robust and agile hunting skills and excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone, and usually do not spin webs. Some are opportunistic hunters, pouncing upon ...
s. File:Gelis agilis 01.JPG, Mimic: '' Gelis agilis'',
a wingless Ichneumonid wasp File:Lasius_Niger.jpg, Model: ''
Lasius niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state bordered by Libya to the north-east, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the south-west, Mali to the wes ...
''


Aggressive mimicry

Aggressive mimics are predators which resemble ants sufficiently to be able to approach their prey successfully. Some spiders, such as the
Zodariidae Ant spiders are members of the family Zodariidae. They are small to medium-sized eight-eyed spiders found in all tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Africa, Madagascar, Australia-New Guinea, New Zealand, Arabia, and the Indian su ...
and those in the genus ''Myrmarachne'', use their disguise to hunt ants. These ant hunters often do not visually resemble ants very closely.Murphy, Frances & Murphy, John (2000): "An Introduction to the Spiders of South East Asia". ''Malaysian Nature Society'', Kuala Lumpur. Page 303 Among the many spiders which are aggressive mimics of ants, '' Aphantochilus rogersi'' mimics its sole prey,
Cephalotini Fungus-growing ants (tribe Attini) comprise all the known fungus-growing ant species participating in ant–fungus mutualism. They are known for cutting grasses and leaves, carrying them to their colonies' nests, and using them to grow fungus on ...
ants. Like many other ant-mimicking spiders, it is also a Batesian mimic, gaining protection from predators such as spider-hunting wasps. File:Aggressive Mimicry of Ants.svg, Aggressive mimicry of ants by spiders. The ant is both the model and the dupe, and it becomes the spider's prey. File:AntSpider.jpg, Aggressive mimic with model/dupe/prey:
''
Myrmarachne ''Myrmarachne'' is a genus of ant-mimicking jumping spiders that was first described by W. S. MacLeay in 1839. They are commonly called ant-mimicking spiders, but they are not the only spiders that have this attribute. The name is a combination ...
'' spider eating a queen ant File:Aphantochilus rogersi 93056208.jpg, Both aggressive and Batesian mimicry:
'' Aphantochilus rogersi'' File:Red Weaver Ant, Oecophylla smaragdina.jpg, Model: Red weaver ant,
''
Oecophylla smaragdina ''Oecophylla smaragdina'' (common names include Asian weaver ant, weaver ant, green ant, green tree ant, and orange gaster) is a species of tree, arboreal ant found in tropical Asia and Australia. These ants form colonies with multiple nests in ...
'' File:Myrmarachne plataleoides female thailand.jpg, Mimic: Female ''
Myrmarachne plataleoides ''Myrmaplata plataleoides'', also called the red weaver-ant mimicking jumper, is a jumping spider that mimics the Asian weaver ant (''Oecophylla smaragdina'') in morphology and behaviour. This species is found in India, Sri Lanka, China and many ...
'' resembles worker red weaver ant. File:Myrmarachne plataleoides male thailand (cropped).jpg, Mimic: Male ''M. plataleoides'' resembles one red weaver ant worker carrying another.


Special protection for young insects

Multiple groups of insects have evolved ant mimicry for their young, while their adults are protected in different ways, either being
camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
d or have conspicuous
warning coloration Aposematism is the Advertising in biology, advertising by an animal, whether terrestrial or marine, to potential predation, predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defenses which make the pr ...
. The young instars of some mantids, such as ''
Odontomantis pulchra ''Odontomantis'' is a genus of mantids in the family Hymenopodidae; species can be found in tropical Asia. Species The ''Mantodea Species File'' lists: * ''Odontomantis brachyptera'' Zheng, 1989 * '' Odontomantis buhleri'' Beier, 1952 * '' Odont ...
'' and '' Tarachodes afzelii'' are Batesian mimics of ants. Bigger instars and adults of these mantids are not ant mimics, but are well-camouflaged predators, and in the case of ''Tarachodes'', that eat ants. Young
instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'' 'form, likeness') is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, which occurs between each moult (''ecdysis'') until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to ...
s of some bush crickets in the genus '' Macroxiphus'', have an "uncanny resemblance" to ants, extending to their black coloration, remarkably perfect antlike shape, and convincingly antlike behaviour. Their long antennae are camouflaged to appear short, being black only at the base, and they are vibrated like ant antennae. Larger instars suddenly change into typical-looking katydids, and are entirely
nocturnal Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatur ...
, while the adult has bright warning coloration. The phasmid ''
Extatosoma tiaratum ''Extatosoma tiaratum'', commonly known as the spiny leaf insect, the giant prickly stick insect, Macleay's spectre, or the Australian walking stick, is a large species of Australian stick insect. Range ''E. tiaratum'' is endemic to rainforests ...
'', resembling dried thorny leaves as an adult, hatches from the egg as a replica of a '' Leptomyrmex'' ant, with a red head and black body. The long end is curled to make the body shape appear ant-like, and the movement is erratic, while the adults move differently, if at all. In some species the eggs resemble ant-dispersed (myrmecochoric) plant seeds, complete with a mimic
oil body An oil body is a lipid-containing structure found in plant cells. The term can refer to at least two distinct kinds of structures in different kinds of plants. In liverworts Liverwort complex oil bodies are structures unique to liverworts t ...
(a "capitulum"). These eggs are collected by the ants, deceived in a different way, and taken to their nests. The capitulum is removed and eaten, leaving the eggs viable. File:Nymph of Euantissa pulchra ant-mimic mantis.jpg, Young
mantis Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate a ...
''
Odontomantis pulchra ''Odontomantis'' is a genus of mantids in the family Hymenopodidae; species can be found in tropical Asia. Species The ''Mantodea Species File'' lists: * ''Odontomantis brachyptera'' Zheng, 1989 * '' Odontomantis buhleri'' Beier, 1952 * '' Odont ...
'' is an ant mimic, unlike the cryptic adult. File:Macroxiphus sp cricket (cropped).jpg, Bush cricket '' Macroxiphus''
nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
mimics ants, whereas the adult is
aposematic Aposematism is the Advertising in biology, advertising by an animal, whether terrestrial or marine, to potential predation, predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defenses which make the pr ...
. File:Australian Walking Stick.jpg, Phasmid ''
Extatosoma tiaratum ''Extatosoma tiaratum'', commonly known as the spiny leaf insect, the giant prickly stick insect, Macleay's spectre, or the Australian walking stick, is a large species of Australian stick insect. Range ''E. tiaratum'' is endemic to rainforests ...
'' adult is a well-
camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
d plant mimic. File:Extatosoma tiaratum eggs.jpg, ''Extatosoma tiaratum'' eggs, mimicking ant-dispersed (myrmecochoric) plant seeds; ants bring these to their nests, eating the projecting mimic
oil body An oil body is a lipid-containing structure found in plant cells. The term can refer to at least two distinct kinds of structures in different kinds of plants. In liverworts Liverwort complex oil bodies are structures unique to liverworts t ...
, leaving the eggs viable. File:Extatosoma.tiaratum.hatching.1.jpg, Freshly hatched ''Extatosoma tiaratum'' nymph mimics '' Leptomyrmex'' ants.


Taxonomic range

Ant mimicry has a wide taxonomic range, including some 2000
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of terrestrial
arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...
s in more than 200
genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
. It has evolved over 70 times, including some 15
clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...
s of spiders, 10 clades of plant-sucking bugs, and 7 clades of staphylinid rove beetles. Outside the arthropods, ant mimics include snails, snakes, and flowering plants.


References


External links


Pictures of ''Coleosoma acutiventer''


{{DEFAULTSORT:Ant Mimicry Myrmecology Mimicry Spiders
Mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...