#myrmecomorphy — Public Fediverse posts

For this #FridayFlyday: today I was browsing around trying to ID a fly and inadvertently discovered these. Ant-mimicking flies, genus _Myrmecothea_. Now I've seen it all. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/132235-Myrmecothea

Photos:
- Katja Schulz https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/139649 :CreativeCommons: :cc_by:
- Louis Burns https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/292460732 :CreativeCommons: :cc_by: :cc_nc_us:
- Jane Waters https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/18914443 :CreativeCommons: :cc_by: :cc_nc_us: :cc_sa:
- Mark Faherty :CreativeCommons: :cc_by: :cc_nc_us:

#FlyFriday #bugstodon #flies #insects #Diptera #Ulidiidae #iNaturalist #mimicry #myrmecomorphy

#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