Amyciaea
Encyclopedia
Amyciaea is a genus of crab spider
s that mimics ants
, their preferred prey.
A. albomaculata mimics its weaver ant
prey (Oecophylla).
Crab spider
Crab spider is a common name applied loosely to many species of spiders, but most nearly consistently to members of the family Thomisidae...
s that mimics ants
Ant mimicry
Ant mimicry is mimicry of ants by other organisms. Ants are abundant all over the world, and insect predators that rely on vision to identify their prey such as birds and wasps normally avoid them, either because they are unpalatable, or aggressive. Thus some other arthropods mimic ants to escape...
, their preferred prey.
A. albomaculata mimics its weaver ant
Weaver ant
Weaver ants or Green ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae . Weaver ants are obligately arboreal and are known for their unique nest building behaviour where workers construct nests by weaving together leaves using larval silk...
prey (Oecophylla).
Species
- Amyciaea albomaculata (O. P-CambridgeOctavius Pickard-CambridgeThe Reverend Octavius Pickard-Cambridge FRS was an English clergyman and zoologist.Pickard-Cambridge was born in Bloxworth rectory, Dorset, the fifth son of Revd George Pickard, rector and squire of Bloxworth: the family changed their name to Pickard-Cambridge in 1848...
, 1874) (Australia, New Guinea) - Amyciaea forticeps (O. P.-Cambridge, 1873) (India, China to Malaysia)
- Amyciaea hesperia Simon, 1895 (Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast)
- Amyciaea lineatipes O. P.-Cambridge, 1901 (Singapore, Sumatra)
- Amyciaea orientalis Simon, 1909 (Vietnam)