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 subcontinent. Most species are daytime hunters and live together with ants, mimicking their behavior and sometimes even their chemical traits. Although little is known about most zodariids, members of the genus Zodarion apparently feed only on ants; a number of other genera in the family are apparently also ant specialists.
Zodarion rubidum is a spider species of the family Zodariidae.
Zodarion is a genus of ant-eating spiders from the family Zodariidae. Over 150 species from Eurasia and North Africa have been described as of May 2017.
Ant mimicry or myrmecomorphy is mimicry of ants by other organisms. Ants are abundant all over the world, and potential predators that rely on vision to identify their prey, such as birds and wasps, normally avoid them, because they are either unpalatable or aggressive. Spiders are the most common ant mimics. Additionally, some arthropods mimic ants to escape predation, while others mimic ants anatomically and behaviourally to hunt ants in aggressive mimicry. Ant mimicry has existed almost as long as ants themselves, the earliest ant mimics in the fossil record appear in the mid Cretaceous alongside the earliest ants. Indeed one of the earliest, Burmomyra was initially classified as an ant.
Habronestes bradleyi is a spider species of the family Zodariidae.
Zodarion italicum is a European ant-eating spider. Like the closely related Z. hamatum, it is nocturnal and captures various ant species. Z. italicum seems to be specialized in Formicinae ants. Both species are generalized mimics of orange-dark brown ants, such as Lasius emarginatus.
Lutica is a genus of zodariid spiders that occurs only in North America on both the mainland California coast and the Channel Islands. Lutica abalonea is known from the coast west of Oxnard, California, Lutica clementea is known from San Clemente Island, Lutica maculata is known from Santa Rosa Island, and Lutica nicolasia is known from San Nicolas Island. It is believed that there is another species found on San Miguel Island, though it has not been described due to lack of adult specimens.
Myrmica sabuleti is a species of ant in the genus Myrmica. The species is indigenous to Europe and most colonies are polygynous. The Phengaris arion caterpillars parasitically prey on the species as it hatches on thyme buds and then tricks the ants into believing it is one of their own larvae, ants then carry it to their nest where it feeds on the ant grubs for 10 months before pupating and emerging as a butterfly.
Zodarion abantense is a species of ant spider found in mainland Portugal and the Azores islands.
Zodarion aurorae is a species of ant-eating spiders native to Romania.
Zodarion bosmansi is a species of spider found in Portugal. Its colors are usually black or brown with orange-brown legs. Zodarion bosmansi Male has Pedipalp: tibial apophysis long, gently curved, terminally truncate. Prosoma and chelicerae light brown. Prosoma length: 2.03 mm. Legs yellow. Opisthosoma: dorsum sepia brown, venter pale. Body length of male: 4.08 mm and Zodarion bosmansi Female has Epigyne: median plate wider than long, anterior margin well marked with paired sclerotised lips. Colouration as in males. Prosoma length: 2.33 mm. Body length of female: 4.84 mm.
Zodarion couseransense is a species of spider in the family Zodariidae, found in France.
Zodarion duriense is a spider species found in Portugal.
Zodarion elegans is a spider species found in Southern Europe and North Africa.
Zodarion graecum is a spider species found in Eastern Europe, Lebanon and Israel.
Zodarion hamatum is a spider species found in Italy, Austria and Slovenia.
Zodarion hauseri is a spider species found in Greece.
Zodarion machadoi is an ant spider species found in Spain, mainland Portugal and the Azores islands.
Zodarion styliferum is a spider species found in Portugal, Spain and Madeira.
Zodariellum is a genus of ant spiders mainly found in Central Asia. Their capture frequency and paralysis latency are different while capturing different ant species. First described in 1968 by Andreeva & Tyschchenko, many included species have been transferred to other genera and it now contains only one species, Zodariellum surprisum.
