Myrmecomorphy is a strategy utilized by a variety of species, among which spiders are the most common. It is supposed that myrmecomorphy tends to be selected by predator avoidance of preying on ants rather than by blind ant workers. To date, this hypothesis has been tested mainly on invertebrate predators (mantises and spiders). We are the first to test whether an imperfect myrmecomorph spider (Phrurolithus festivus) gains protection against avian predators (wild adult great tits—Parus major) through its appearance. In a set of preferential trials, we showed that the ant model and the myrmecomorph spider are equally well protected against attack, though the attacked myrmecomorphs are usually eaten. This suggests that the mimicry of the myrmecomorph spiders is effective against avian predators and works in a Batesian manner. In this study, we have provided evidence toward the evolution of myrmecomorphy in response to selective pressure elicited by visually-oriented predators like birds.

Myrmecomorphy is a specific type of visual mimicry residing in the visual resemblance of an animal to an ant¹. Spiders are common myrmecomorphs, with myrmecomorph species occurring in 13 families with most species in the family Salticidae. The resemblance to the ant model may vary in perfection. There are some stunning examples of perfect resemblance, especially within a predominately tropical genus of salticid spiders, Myrmarachne (Aranea, Salticidae). These spiders co-occur with ants, they build their nest close to the ant nests and encounter them daily³. Aggressive interactions between them are rare, as Myrmarachne spiders usually prey on small invertebrates and their eggs and they adopt a behaviour resembling the interspecific communication of ants to avoid being attacked by them. Within the genus, the spiders display variability in the level of similarity to their ant models, with e.g., Myrmarachne bakeri being seen as an imperfect mimic. Even spiders with significantly lower levels of myrmecomorphy than M. bakeri are called myrmecomorphs. Their body and leg shapes differ from ants, but they may be confused with ants according to colouration and means of locomotion. Phrurolithus festivus (Aranea, Phrurolithidae) may be a good example. Similarly as in the genus Myrmarachne, it commonly forages within ant swarms and usually preys on small invertebrates flushed out by foraging ants. Even spiders with significantly lower levels of myrmecomorphy than M. bakeri are called myrmecomorphs. Their body and leg shapes differ from ants, but they may be confused with ants according to colouration and means of locomotion. Phrurolithus festivus (Aranea, Phrurolithidae) may be a good example. Similarly as in the genus Myrmarachne, it commonly forages within ant swarms and usually preys on small invertebrates flushed out by foraging ants. A less obvious possibility is that the visual resemblance of the myrmecomorph spiders to ants may be a signal to the former’s potential predators. This hypothesis has been tested repeatedly in perfect mimics of genus Myrmarachne. The predators used were mantises or salticid spiders. The protection of Myrmarachne species against all of the invertebrate predators was very good when compared with non-myrmecomorph salticid spiders.

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