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Ant-mimic spider guarding nest, Ecuador
An ant-mimic spider guards its eggs on a leaf. This Aphantochilus sp. tropical spider has evolved to mimic the appearance (and possibly the behaviour) of an ant. This may give it protection from predators which may otherwise not attack ants. There is a constriction near the middle of the abdomen typical of ants, and rather thin legs. It may also run about in the same quick way that ants do. Here, it is guarding a white silken egg nest, within which eggs have been laid. Photo- graphed at Jatun Sacha, Ecuador.
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