Lmst

#DailySpiderPic: "Well, this is awkward…" An ant-mimic jumping spider (_Synageles_) crosses paths with a _Prenolepis imparis_ ant. Its disguise is meant to put off potential predators that won't mess with ants—but the ants themselves rely more on chemical cues and aren't fooled. I saw a couple of _Synageles_ on this planter and they both carefully avoided the ants.

#SpidersOfMastodon #JumpingSpiders #spiders #mimicry #myrmecomorphy #Araneae #Salticidae #ants #Hymenoptera #Formicidae

A small dark brown ant-mimic jumping spider on the wall of a planter made of pebbles in concrete. The spider holds a pair of legs up like antennae, and its white stripes and elongated abdomen create the illusion of three body segments. Off to the left, an ant approaches (out of focus).

The ant, a dark brown winter ant, is turned towards the camera and now rather close to the spider, which is bobbing its abdomen up and down the way ants do.

The ant turns towards the spider (out of focus on the right).

The spider begins to slowly back away from the ant.

I almost forgot it was #MiteMonday! Inspired by @zorbama's shot of a running crab spider, clover mite, and midge all together (https://veganism.social/@zorbama/114373000260983349), here's a running crab spider (_Philodromus_) I found feeding on a clover mite (_Bryobia_). I don't actually often find many arthropods feeding on the adults, though I've seen predatory _Anystis_ mites eating the eggs.

#DailyMitePic #Mitestodon #mites #DailySpiderPic #SpidersOfMastodon #spiders #Acari #Acariformes #Tetranychidae #Bryobiinae #Araneae #Philodromidae

A small, flat, crablike grey-brown spider perched on a large rock with something light red and leggy in its jaws.

A closer shot from a better angle shows the dark blueish body and thin light red legs and mouthparts of a clover mite.

It's that time of the week again: time to feed the spiders. I think the cellar spider (_Pholcus_) in the jar won't need food for a while—I've never seen one so fat! I also managed to get three fruit flies into the orbweaver's (_Larinioides_') web with tweezers.

#DailySpiderPic #SpidersOfMastodon #spiders • #Araneae #Araneidae #Pholcidae

#DailySpiderPic

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