|
| Spider myrmecophage | Category of myrmecophage* | Notes on biology | References |
|
| Araneidae | | | |
| Metepeira gosoga Chamberlin and Ivie | Unk | Author suggests that spiders may feed on ants found only on cholla where spider is also found. | [93] |
| Metepeira sp. | Unk | Reported feeding on Crematogaster opuntiae Buren. | [93] |
|
| Deinopidae | | | |
| Deinopis sp. | Probably I | Throws web over ants passing below. | [94] |
|
| Eresidae | | | |
| Seothyra sp. | F | Lives in silk lined burrows. Mouth of burrow covered by prey capture web. Captures mostly ants. Male spider runs on ground during day and is myrmecomorph and behavioral mimic of Camponotus sp. and mutillid wasps (dimorphic mimicry). | [95] |
|
| Gnaphosidae | | | |
| Callilepis nocturna (L.) | May be F | Feeds on Formica spp. and Lasius spp. Actively searches for ants and may enter nests to hunt workers. Approaches ant and bites on base of antenna. Antennae seem to act as stimulus to trigger attack. | [96–98] |
|
| Linyphiidae | | | |
| Frontinella communis (Hentz) | I | Occasionally preys on ants. | [99] |
|
| Oecobiidae | | | |
| Oecobius annulipes Lucas | O | Main food is Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille) but other ants (e.g., Lasius flavus (Fabricius)) accepted in lab. Bites at base of antenna. Swaths ant in silk and encircles it. Sometimes uses last pair of legs as well as spinnerets to direct silk over prey. Reduced chelicerae and enlarged gnathocoxae may be adaptations to myrmecophagic lifestyle. | [100] |
| O. cellariorum (Dugès) | O | Feeds on Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille). Bites at base of antenna. | [100] |
| O. templi O. P.-Cambridge | O | | [100] |
|
| Oonopidae | | | |
| Triaeris stenaspis Simon (publ. as T. patellaris) | Unk | Reported attacking Cyphomyrmex costatus Mann. | [101] |
|
| Oxyopidae | | | |
| Oxyopes apollo Brady | Unk | Eats ants. | [102] |
| O. globifer Simon | I/F | Ants constitute large % of prey. | [99, 102] |
| O. licenti Schenkel | Unk | Eats ants. | [102] |
| O. salticus Hentz | Unk | Eats ants. | [102] |
| O. scalaris Hentz | I | Occasionally eats ants. | [99, 102] |
| O. sertatus L. Koch | Unk | Eats ants. | [102] |
| Peucetia viridans (Hentz) | Unk | Eats ants. | [103] |
|
| Pholcidae | | | |
| Crossopriza lyoni (Blackwall) (publ. as Crossopriza stridulans) | Unk | Feeds on fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren. | [104] |
|
| Salticidae | | | |
| Aelurillus aeruginosus (Simon), A. cognatus (O. P.-Cambridge), and A. kochi Roewer | F | Prefer ants over other prey. Innately recognize ants even if ants are not moving. Attack from front unless ant is passing (then switch to rear attack). Use different hunting behavior for ants than for other prey. If hungry, show no preference for ants over other prey. | [105] |
| Aelurillus m-nigrum Kulczyński | F | Prefers ants over other prey; 85% of diet in field consists of ants. Uses different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: lunges, attacks from front, bites, releases, bites again. | [92] |
| Aelurillus spp. | F | Species in genus prefer ants over other prey. Use different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey. | [106] |
| Anasaitis canosa (Walckenaer) (publ. as Corythalia canosa or as Stoidis aurata) | F | Prefers ants over other prey. Uses different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: attacks from front, holds forelegs away from struggling ant. Also stilts body off ground. | [107, 108] |
| Anasaitis spp. | F | Species in genus prefer ants over other prey. Use different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey. | [106] |
| Chalcotropis spp. | F | Use different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: some attack from rear, some head-on, then lunge, bite, release, and wait. | [106, 109] |
| Chrysilla lauta Thorell | F | Prefers ants. Uses different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: attacks from rear, bites gaster (not appendages), retreats and waits, may lunge and strike several times. When ant quiescent, spider approaches, bites again, and carries it away. | [110] |
| Chrysilla spp. | F | Species in genus prefer ants over other prey. Use different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey. | [106] |
| Cosmophasis sp. | Unk | Feeds on ants and is myrmecomorph. | [59] |
| Euophyrs spp. | F | Use different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: some attack from rear, some attack head-on, then lunge, bite, release, and wait. | [106] |
| Evarcha albaria (L. Koch) | I/F | Robs ants of their prey and of their brood (eggs and larvae) that workers carry (kleptoparasites). | [111] |
| Habrocestum pulex (Hentz) | Some F
Some I | Some individuals prefer ants over other prey; some prefer other prey over ants. Myrmecophagic individuals use different behaviors for ants than for other prey: lunge or leap onto petiole or thorax, bite, release, repeat (up to 6 times). Keep front legs off ground away from ant. Reported preying on Crematogaster spp. | [112–114] |
| Habrocestum spp. | F | Species in genus prefer ants over other prey. Use different hunting behaviors for ants than other prey. | [106] |
| Hasarius adansoni (Audouin) | Probably I | Will feed on ants. | [115] |
| Hentzia palmarum (Hentz) (publ. as Eris marginata) | Unk | Reported feeding on workers of Myrmica sp. | [113] |
| Icius sp. | Unk | Reported feeding on small brown ants. | [113] |
| Menemerus fulvus (L. Koch) (publ. as Menemerus confuses) | I/F | Robs ants of their prey and of their brood (eggs and larvae) that workers carry (kleptoparasites). | [111] |
| Myrmarachne foenisex Simon | F | Regularly feeds on weaver ant (Oecophylla) larvae. Also mimics weaver ants. | [59] |
| Natta horizontalis Karsch (publ. as Cyllobelus rufopictus) | F | Prefer ants. Uses different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: attacks from rear, bites gaster (not appendages), retreats, and waits, may lunge and strike several times. When ant quiescent, spider approaches, bites again, and carries it away. | [110] |
| Natta spp. | F | Species in genus generally prefer ants. Use different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: attack from rear, bite gaster (not appendages), retreat and wait, may lunge and strike several times. When ant quiescent, spider approaches, bites again, and carries it away. | [106, 110] |
| Phidippus johnsoni (Peckham and Peckham) | I | Occasionally eats ants. | [99, 116] |
| Plexippus setipes Karsch | I/F | Robs ants of their prey and of their brood (eggs and larvae) that workers carry (kleptoparasites). | [111] |
| Siler cupreus Simon (publ. as Silerella vittata) | F/O | Eats ants. Spider population increases in areas infested with Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr). Also robs worker ants of brood including eggs, larvae, and pupae being carried by workers (kleptoparasitism). | [117–120] |
| Siler semiglaucus (Simon) | F | Prefer ants. Uses different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey; bites gaster (not appendages), retreats and waits, may lunge and strike several times. When ant quiescent, spider approaches, bites again, and carries it away. | [110] |
| Siler spp. | F | Use different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: some attack from rear, some from head-on, lunge, bite, release and wait. | [106, 109] |
| Tutelina formicaria (Emerton) | F | Also myrmecomorph. Preys on red and black ants. | [121] |
| Tutelina similis (Banks) | F | Preys primarily on ants and is also a myrmecomorph. Uses different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: bites quickly, releases, retreats, carries paralyzed prey to safe area. | [99, 113] |
| Tutelina spp. | F | Other species of Tutelina found on mound of Pogonomyrmex salinus Olsen (publ. as P. owyheei) feeding on worker ants. | [113] |
| Xenocytaea spp. | F | Species in genus prefer ants over other prey. Use different hunting behaviors for ants than other prey. | [106] |
| Zenodorus durvillei (Walckenaer), Z. metallescens (L. Koch), and Z. orbiculatus (Keyserling) | F | Prefer ants over other prey. Feed on ants caught in other spider’s webs—but only if spiders can approach safely without getting caught. Ambush ants; hang upside down and lunge at ant while releasing dragline. Repeatedly bite larger ants. Do not hold onto injured ant. | [106, 108] |
| Zenodorus spp. | F | Species in genus prefer ants over other prey. Use different hunting behaviors for ants than other prey. | [106] |
|
| Scytodidae | | | |
| Scytodes sp. | Unk | Feeds on fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren. | [104] |
|
| Theridiidae | | | |
| Achaearanea spp. | Unk | Feed on “carpenter ants.” Ants become entangled in gum footed sticky thread attached to substrate. Movement of ant causes thread to snap and ant is lifted off ground. | [93] |
| Argyrodes sp. | Unk | Reported feeding on Pogonomyrmex rugosus Emery. | [93] |
| Asagena fulva (Keyserling) (publ. as Steatoda fulva) and A. pulcher (Keyserling) (publ. as S. pulcher) | Unk | Feed on Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) and P. subnitidus Emery. When ant workers captured in webs, major workers (patrollers) may attempt to free them but become caught in webs themselves. | [93, 122] |
| Cryptachaea riparia (Blackwall) (publ. as Theridion saxatile and as Acaeoraneae riparia) | F | Captures ants with above-ground web that has sticky threads attached to substrate. Webs built in areas of high ant activity or traffic. Greater than 88% of diet made up of ants (mostly Formica spp.). Ant gets tangled in sticky silk, struggling causes line to snap, ant is suspended, spider responds to vibrations, bites ant several times in legs and antennae while wrapping in silk, cuts paralyzed ant, and carries it to sand-covered tube retreat. | [123, 124] |
| Dipoena punctisparsa Yaginuma | Unk | Feeds on small ants in genus Lasius. | [125] |
| Enoplognatha ovata (Clerck) (publ. as Theridion lineatum or T. lineamentum) | Unk | Feeds on Pogonomyrmex barbatus (Smith). Builds webs in grass near colony. Ants crawling up into grass or passing below get entangled. | [126] |
| Euryopis californica Banks | I/F | Reported feeding on Pogonomyrmex rugosus Emery. | [93] |
| Euryopis coki Levi | I/F | Preys on Pogonomyrmex salinus Olsen (publ. as P. owyheei). Spider captures ant on the mound by trapping ant against ground with sticky silk. Bites on leg. Ant swings off ground on thread. When paralyzed, spider drags it away using a web sling attached to the ant and to the spinnerets. | [127] |
| Euryopis episinoides (Walckenaer) (publ. as E. acuminata) | I/F | Feeds on ants. Attacks Crematogaster ants and transports each attached to spinnerets. | [128] |
| Euryopis formosa Banks | I/F | Captures and carries workers of Pogonomyrmex salinus Olsen. Carries ant across ground. One attack described: spider bit gaster, released ant, moved to front and waited, reapproached paralyzed ant, climbed onto ant and began dragging across ant nest using web sling. | [129] |
| Euryopis funebris (Hentz) | F/O | Reported feeding on Camponotus castaneus (Latreille). Throws adhesive silk over ant passing by on tree trunk and fastens it to tree. Encircles ant, throwing silk. Bites leg. Cuts paralyzed ant free and carries it to crack or crevice or drops on line to feed. | [130, 131] |
| Euryopis scriptipes Banks | I/F | Feeds on ants. | [132] |
| Euryopis texana Banks | I/F | Female reported preying upon moving line of small ants. | [133] |
| Other Euryopis spp. | I/F | Prey on ants. Throw adhesive silk over ants and fasten to trees. | [131–133] |
| Latrodectus corallinus Abalos | Unk | | [93, 134] |
| Latrodectus hesperus Chamberlin and Ivie | Probably I | Feeds on Pogonomyrmex rugosus Emery. Builds web on colony mound over foraging trail. Spider throws silk on ant that gets caught in gum threads. Spider approaches ant from above, bites posterior femur, retreats, returns after ant paralyzed, and pulls ant to retreat or to hidden part of web. Also feeds on other species of ants. | [93] |
| Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius) | I/F | 75% of prey in cotton fields in Texas made up of fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Also reported feeding on Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille) and P. barbatus. | [89, 126, 135] |
| Latrodectus mirabilis (Holmberg) | Unk | Feeds on Acromyrmex spp. and Camponotus spp. Builds webs over colony entrances. | [93, 134] |
| Latrodectus pallidus O. P.-Cambridge | F | Primary prey are ants. Feeds on Monomorium semirufus (nomen dubium, but probably Messor semirufus (André)). Females build webs over foraging trails. Capture ants from above with trip line attached to substrate and pull prey into retreat. Spiders can also descend to ground and catch ants running on trails. | [136–138] |
| L. quartus Abalos | Unk | Feeds on Acromyrmex spp. and Camponotus spp. Builds webs over colony entrances. | [93, 134] |
| Latrodectus revivensis Shulov | Unk | Remains of Messor sp. found in webs. | [136] |
| Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (Rossi) | Unk | Remains of Messor sp. found in webs. | [136, 137] |
| Latrodectus spp. | Unk | Members of genus may generally be myrmecophages. Reported feeding on Monomorium sp. and Messor semirufus (André). | [136–138] |
| Parasteatoda tepidariorum (C. L. Koch) (publ. as Achaearanea tepidariorum) | Unk | Feeds on fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren. | [107] |
| Phycosoma mustelinum (Simon) (publ. as Dipoena mustelina) | Unk | Captures various species of ants of wide range of sizes. | [125] |
| Steatoda albomaculata (De Geer) | I | Feeds on ants; ant remains found in webs. | [139] |
| Steatoda fulva (Keyserling) | I/F | Reported building webs near nest entrance of colonies of Pogonomyrmex badius (Latreille). | [122] |
| S. triangulosa (Walckenaer) | I | Feeds on fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren. | [104] |
| Yaginumena castrata (Bösenberg and Strand) (publ. as Dipoena castrata) | Unk | Mostly feeds upon Camponotus sp. and Lasius sp. and most individual spiders feed upon single type of prey. The larger the spider, the larger the ant it can attack. | [125] |
|
| Thomisidae | | | |
| Amyciaea albomaculata (O. P.-Cambridge) | O | Myrmecomorph of Oecophylla smaragdina (Fabricius) (publ. as O. virescens). Adult spiders with eye spots on abdomen. Juvs. yellow and mimic other species of yellow ants (transformational mimics). Spider waits near foraging trail of ant, attacks from behind, bites back of body, drags paralyzed ant to edge of vegetation, drops down to feed. | [140] |
| Aphantochilus rogersi O. P.-Cambridge (publ. as Cryptoceroides cryptocerophagum) | O | Also a myrmecomorph of Cephalotes pusillus (Klug) (publ. as Zacryptocerus pusillus). Attacks from behind. Holds dead ant as “protective shield.” Females oviposit near ant nest and defend egg sacs against worker ants. | [141–143] |
| Aphantochilus spp. | Unk | Feed on cephalotine ants. | [57, 141–143] |
| Bucranium spp. | Unk | Feed on cephalotine ants. Hold dead ants as protective shield against attacks from other ants. | [57, 141–143] |
| Mecaphesa californica (Banks) (publ. as Misumenops californicus) | Unk | Feeds on Pogonomyrmex rugosus in vegetation near ant nests. | [93] |
| Mecaphesa coloradensis (Gertsch) (publ. as Misumenops coloradensis) | Unk | Feeds on alate females of Pogonomyrmex maricopa Wheeler and P. desertorum Wheeler after they have removed their wings and while resting on bushes waiting for temperatures to drop in order to dig new nest chambers. | [144] |
| Mecaphesa lepida (Thorell) (publ. as Misumenops lepidus) | I | Occasionally feeds on ants. | [99] |
| Misumenops argenteus (Rinaldi) | Probably I | 17% of prey are ants; mostly ants that get caught in trichomes of plant Trichogoniopsis adenantha (OC), where spider spends most of its time. | [145] |
| Runcinioides argenteus Mello-Leitão (publ. as Misumenops argenteus) | Unk | Includes ants in diet. | [146] |
| Saccodomus formivorus Rainbow | May be F or O | Builds a basket-like web that appears to attract wandering Iridomyrmex ants. Spider also uses behavioral tactics-tapping ant with its own legs before attacking. | [4, 147] |
| Thomisus onustus Walckenaer | I | 42.8% of diet consists of ants. | [147] |
| Tmarus stoltzmanni Keyserling | O | Feeds exclusively on ants; but only those without stings such as dolichoderine and formicine ants. Uses frontal attacks. May have sensory structures on 1st or 2nd pair of legs to detect chemical or tactile cues from ants. | [148] |
| Other Tmarus sp. (from Australia) | Unk | Includes ants in diet. | [148, 149] |
| Xysticus californicus Keyserling | Unk | Attacks harvester ants in California (cites unpubl. work of Snelling). | [148, 149] |
| X. loeffleri Roewer | R | Ants comprise only a minor part of diet. | [150] |
| Other Xysticus spp. | I/F | 30–35% of diet of some spp. of Xysticus comprised of ants. One spider seen preying on Pogonomyrmex salinus Olsen. Spider seen on back of ant where it rode around, biting ant until paralyzed. Spider bit at base of petiole. | [129, 150] |
|
| Zodariidae | | | |
| Diores spp. | Probably F or O | Feed on ants. | [151] |
| Habronestes bradleyi (O. P.-Cambridge) | O | Spider also myrmecomorph. Waves front legs around when hunting ants. When legs are amputated, spider has difficult time locating prey (Iridomyrmex purpureus (Smith)). | [152–154] |
| Lachesana insensibilis Jocqué | I | Polyphagous but will eat ants smaller than themselves. Uses different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: bites, releases, re-approaches, bites again. | [155] |
| Lachesana tarabaevi Zonstein and Ovtchinnikov | F | Preys mostly on harvester ants in genus Messor and on isopods. | [156] |
| Pax islamita (Simon) | I | Polyphagous but will eat ants smaller than themselves. Uses different hunting behaviors for ants than for other prey: bites, releases, re-approaches, bites again. | [155] |
| Trygetus sexoculatus (O. P.-Cambridge) | O | Paralysis latency longer for male and juvenile attacks than for female attacks. | [157] |
| Trygetus spp. | O | Paralysis latency longer for male and juvenile attacks than for female attacks. | [155, 157] |
| Zodariellum asiaticum (Tyschchenko) | O | Specializes on formicine ants. Attacks other kinds of ants readily but there is shorter paralysis latency for formicine ants suggesting biochemical specificity of venom for certain kinds of ants. | [155] |
| Zodariellum spp. | Probably all O | Feed on ants. | [155] |
| Zodarion cyrenaicum Denis | O | Shows cooperative foraging behavior. But some individuals steal prey from others (kleptoparasitism). Paralysis latency longer for male and juvenile attacks than for female attacks. | [157–159] |
| Zodarion frenatum (Simon) | O | Feeds on Cataglyphis bicolor (Fabricius). Locates nests at night (maybe via odor cues?). Sometimes builds retreats near nest. Digs open closed nest entrances, which triggers ants to come out and repair. Spider sometimes enters nest. Bites ant’s legs and carries paralyzed ant away from nest. Also kills ants in morning when they emerge from nest. | [158, 160, 161] |
| Zodarion germanicum (C. L. Koch) | O | Myrmecomorph as well as myrmecophage. Waves 1st legs as antennal illusion. Holds dead ant in chelicerae and presents dead ant to approaching live ant while “antennating” live ant with its own forelegs. Presumably presenting both odor and tactile cues to living ant to deceive it and avoid attack. Attacks Cataglyphis bicolor (Fabricius). | [162, 163] |
| Zodarion jozefienae Bosmans | O | Females and juveniles actively hunt ants. Mature males are kleptoparasites on females’ prey (spend energy on mate searching, not prey capture). Sexual size dimorphism (females larger). | [161, 164, 165] |
| Zodarion lutipes (O. P.-Cambridge) | O | Paralysis latency longer for male and juvenile attacks than for female attacks. | [157] |
| Zodarion nitidum (Audouin) | O | Paralysis latency longer for male and juvenile attacks than for female attacks. | [157] |
| Zodarion rubidum Simon | O | Myrmecomorph as well as myrmecophage. Waves 1st legs as antennal illusion. Holds dead ant in chelicerae and presents dead ant to approaching live ant while “antennating” live ant with its own forelegs. Presumably presenting both odor and tactile cues to living ant to deceive it and avoid attack. | [163, 166–168] |
| Zodarion spp. | O | All species obligate myrmecophages. Species also imperfect myrmecomorphs. Documented hunting various species. Do not survive well on non-ant diet. Seem to be behaviorally adapted to hunt ants and seem to have evolved nutritional limitations (non-ant prey do not provide required nutrients). Attack from rear, bite legs, retreat, may repeat, re-approach, pick up, and carry away paralyzed ants. Move front legs while hunting. Have femoral organ that may secrete chemical involved in prey capture. | [49, 98, 151, 157, 158, 160, 161, 166, 168–174] |
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