Myrmarachne is a genus of ant-mimicking jumping spiders that was first described by W. S. MacLeay in 1839. They are commonly called ant-mimicking spiders, but they are not the only spiders that have this attribute. The name is a combination of Ancient Greek (myrmex), meaning "ant", and (arachne), meaning "spider".
This genus has undergone many changes, and is still under review as more information becomes available. In 2016, several genera were split off, including Helicius and the monotypic genus Panachraesta. The genus Emertonius was revalidated in 2018 after being synonymized with Myrmarachne for nearly thirty years.
Description Myrmarachne have an elongated cephalothorax with relatively long chelicerae that projects forward in males. The chelicerae of males can lack venom glands. The cephalothorax has a waist, and the opisthosoma often has one too. The colors can vary from black to yellow, depending on ant species it is mimicking, and can change over the course of its life. For example, one African species was observed to mimic a certain species of ants as a juvenile, and another ant species as an adult.
They tend to wave their front legs in the air to simulate antennae, and many have bodies that also closely resemble ants. It was assumed they didn't use their front legs for locomotion at all, but high-speed cameras have shown that they move around using all eight legs, raising their forelimbs only when stationary.
The genus Bocus is so similar to Myrmarachne that it cannot be distinguished without the help of a microscope.
Species With about 80 described and many undescribed southeast Asian species, Myrmarachne is the most diverse genus of jumping spider in this region. A few species, such as the palearctic M. formicaria, occur in temperate regions.
Myrmarachne are found in the tropics from Africa to Australia, with some species found in the New World.
, this genus includes 188 species and three subspecies.
These species have articles on Wikipedia:
Myrmarachne bicurvata (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869) – Sri Lanka Myrmarachne clavigera (Thorell, 1877) – Indonesia (Sulawesi) Myrmarachne elongata Szombathy, 1915 – Africa, Japan, China, Vietnam Myrmarachne formicaria (De Geer, 1778) – Macaronesia, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe, Caucasus, Far East), Iran, China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to Canada, United States Myrmarachne luctuosa (L. Koch, 1879) – Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland) Myrmarachne melanocephala MacLeay, 1839 – Pakistan to Vietnam and Indonesia (type species) Myrmarachne melanotarsa Wesołowska & Salm, 2002 – Kenya, China? Myrmarachne morningside Benjamin, 2015 – Sri Lanka Myrmarachne prava (Karsch, 1880) – Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka Myrmarachne ramunni Narayan, 1915 – Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka Myrmarachne spissa (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1892) – India, Sri Lanka Myrmarachne striatipes (L. Koch, 1879) – Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania) Myrmarachne uniseriata Narayan, 1915 – India, Sri Lanka
Myrmarachne acromegalis Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – Thailand, Indonesia (Borneo) Myrmarachne acutidens Yamasaki & Edwards, 2013 – Indonesia Myrmarachne albocincta (C. L. Koch, 1846) – United States Myrmarachne albosetosa Wanless, 1978 – South Africa Myrmarachne alticeps (Thorell, 1890) – Indonesia (Java) Myrmarachne amabilis Yamasaki, 2018 – Malaysia (Borneo) Myrmarachne angusta (Thorell, 1877) – China to Indonesia (Sulawesi) Myrmarachne annandalei Simon, 1901 – Malaysia Myrmarachne assimilis Banks, 1930 – Malaysia (Borneo), Philippines Myrmarachne attenuata (Karsch, 1880) – Philippines Myrmarachne attenuata (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1901) – Singapore Myrmarachne augusta (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1892) – Madagascar Myrmarachne aurea Ceccarelli, 2010 – Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland) Myrmarachne bakeri Banks, 1930 – Philippines Myrmarachne balinese Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010 – Indonesia (Bali) Myrmarachne bamakoi Berland & Millot, 1941 – Mali Myrmarachne bicolor (L. Koch, 1879) – Australia (Queensland, Northern Territory) Myrmarachne bicurvata (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1869) – Sri Lanka Myrmarachne bidentata Banks, 1930 – Philippines Myrmarachne biseratensis Badcock, 1918 – Malaysia, Indonesia (Borneo) Myrmarachne brevis Xiao, 2002 – China Myrmarachne caliraya Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – India, Philippines Myrmarachne capito (Thorell, 1890) – Indonesia (Java) Myrmarachne chapmani Banks, 1930 – Philippines Myrmarachne circulus Xiao & Wang, 2004 – China Myrmarachne clavigera (Thorell, 1877) – Indonesia (Sulawesi) Myrmarachne collarti Roewer, 1965 – DR Congo, Uganda Myrmarachne concava Zhu, J. X. Zhang, Z. S. Zhang & Chen, 2005 – China Myrmarachne confusa Wanless, 1978 – Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe Myrmarachne consobrina Denis, 1955 – Niger Myrmarachne constricta (Blackwall, 1877) – Seychelles Myrmarachne contracta (Karsch, 1880) – Indonesia Myrmarachne cornuta Badcock, 1918 – China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia (peninsula, Borneo), Singapore, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo, Java) Myrmarachne corpuzrarosae Barrion, 1981 – Philippines Myrmarachne corusca Wiśniewski & Wesołowska, 2024 – Uganda Myrmarachne cowani (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1892) – Madagascar Myrmarachne crassembolus Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – Borneo Myrmarachne cyrtodens Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – Borneo Myrmarachne debilis (Thorell, 1890) – Indonesia (Java) Myrmarachne decorata Reimoser, 1927 – Indonesia (Sumatra) Myrmarachne dilatata (Karsch, 1880) – Malawi Myrmarachne dirangicus Bastawade, 2002 – India Myrmarachne dubia (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1892) – Philippines Myrmarachne dundoensis Wanless, 1978 – Angola, Kenya, Botswana Myrmarachne edentata Berry, Beatty & Prószyński, 1996 – Caroline Is. Mariana Is. Myrmarachne edentula (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1892) – Philippines Myrmarachne edwardsi Berry, Beatty & Prószyński, 1996 – Caroline Is. Myrmarachne eidmanni Roewer, 1942 – West Africa, DR Congo Myrmarachne elongata Szombathy, 1915 – Africa, Japan, China, Vietnam Myrmarachne endoi Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – Malaysia (Borneo), Singapore, Indonesia (Simeulue) Myrmarachne epigealis Yamasaki & Edwards, 2013 – Indonesia Myrmarachne erythrocephalus (L. Koch, 1879) – Australia (Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales) Myrmarachne eumenes (Simon, 1900) – Madagascar Myrmarachne evidens Roewer, 1965 – DR Congo, Uganda, Angola Myrmarachne foenisex Simon, 1909 – Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Gabon, DR Congo, Angola Myrmarachne foreli Lessert, 1925 – Uganda, Angola, Botswana, Malawi, South Africa Myrmarachne formica (Doleschall, 1859) – Indonesia (Ambon) Myrmarachne formicaria (De Geer, 1778) – Macaronesia, Europe, Turkey, Caucasus, Russia (Europe, Caucasus, Far East), Iran, China, Korea, Japan. Introduced to Canada, United States Myrmarachne formosa (Thorell, 1890) – Indonesia (Sumatra, Sulawesi) Myrmarachne formosana (Matsumura, 1911) – Taiwan Myrmarachne formosana (Saito, 1933) – Taiwan Myrmarachne formosicola Strand, 1910 – Taiwan Myrmarachne fredwanlessi Logunov, 2021 – Vietnam Myrmarachne galea Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2022 – Ivory Coast Myrmarachne galianoae Cutler, 1981 – Bolivia Myrmarachne giltayi Roewer, 1965 – DR Congo, Kenya, Angola Myrmarachne gisti Fox, 1937 – China, Vietnam Myrmarachne glavisi Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010 – Bali Myrmarachne gurgulla Ceccarelli, 2010 – Australia (Queensland) Myrmarachne hamata C. Wang, Mi & Peng, 2023 – China Myrmarachne hashimotoi Yamasaki, 2018 – Malaysia (Borneo) Myrmarachne helensmithae Pekár, 2017 – Australia (Queensland, Northern Territory) Myrmarachne hesperia (Simon, 1887) – West Africa, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko) Myrmarachne hidaspis Caporiacco, 1935 – India (Karakorum) Myrmarachne himalayensis Narayan, 1915 – India Myrmarachne hoffmanni Strand, 1913 – China Myrmarachne ichneumon (Simon, 1886) – Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mozambique, South Africa Myrmarachne incerta Narayan, 1915 – India Myrmarachne inermichelis Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 – Russia (Far East), Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan Myrmarachne inflatipalpis Wanless, 1978 – Botswana, Malawi, South Africa Myrmarachne iridescens Banks, 1930 – Philippines Myrmarachne isolata Clark & Benoit, 1977 – St. Helena Myrmarachne jacksoni Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010 – China, Indonesia (Bali) Myrmarachne jacobsoni Reimoser, 1925 – Indonesia (Sumatra) Myrmarachne japonica (Karsch, 1879) – Russia (Far East), China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan Myrmarachne jianfenglin Barrion, Barrion-Dupo & Heong, 2013 – China (Hainan) Myrmarachne kiboschensis Lessert, 1925 – Botswana to China Myrmarachne kilifi Wanless, 1978 – Kenya, Tanzania Myrmarachne kitale Wanless, 1978 – Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya Myrmarachne kochi Reimoser, 1925 – Malaysia, Indonesia Myrmarachne kuan Wang, Mi, Li & Xu, 2024 – China Myrmarachne kuwagata Yaginuma, 1967 – India, China, Korea, Japan Myrmarachne laeta (Thorell, 1887) – India, Pakistan, Indonesia (Nias Is.), China M. l. flava Narayan, 1915 – Pakistan, India M. l. praelonga (Thorell, 1890) – Myanmar Myrmarachne lagarosoma Yamasaki, 2018 – Malaysia (Borneo) Myrmarachne lambirensis Yamasaki & Ahmad, 2013 – Indonesia (Java, Borneo) Myrmarachne laurentina Bacelar, 1953 – Mozambique, South Africa Myrmarachne lawrencei Roewer, 1965 – Ethiopia, Gabon, DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania Myrmarachne legon Wanless, 1978 – Niger, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana Myrmarachne leleupi Wanless, 1978 – South Africa Myrmarachne leptognatha (Thorell, 1890) – Indonesia (Java) Myrmarachne leptosoma Yamasaki, 2018 – Malaysia (Borneo) Myrmarachne lesserti Lawrence, 1938 – South Africa Myrmarachne linguiensis Zhang & Song, 1992 – China Myrmarachne liui Wang & Li, 2021 – China Myrmarachne longiventris (Simon, 1903) – Madagascar Myrmarachne luachimo Wanless, 1978 – Uganda, Angola Myrmarachne luctuosa (L. Koch, 1879) – Australia (New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland) Myrmarachne lugens (Thorell, 1881) – Indonesia (Moluccas) Myrmarachne lugubris (Kulczyński, 1895) – Russia (Far East), China, Korea Myrmarachne lulengana Roewer, 1965 – Ethiopia, DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Botswana, South Africa Myrmarachne lulengensis Roewer, 1965 – DR Congo Myrmarachne lupata (L. Koch, 1879) – Australia (Queensland) Myrmarachne macaulayi Pekár, 2017 – Australia (Queensland, Northern Territory) Myrmarachne macleayana (Bradley, 1876) – Australia (Queensland) Myrmarachne macrognatha (Thorell, 1894) – Indonesia (Java, Flores) Myrmarachne mandibularis (Thorell, 1890) – Indonesia (Java) Myrmarachne manducator (Westwood, 1841) – India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia (Sumatra) Myrmarachne markaha Barrion & Litsinger, 1995 – Malaysia (Borneo), Philippines Myrmarachne marshalli G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1903 – Sub-Saharan Africa Myrmarachne mcgregori Banks, 1930 – Philippines Myrmarachne melanocephala MacLeay, 1839 – Pakistan to Vietnam and Indonesia (type species) Myrmarachne melanotarsa Wesołowska & Salm, 2002 – Kenya, China? Myrmarachne militaris Szombathy, 1913 – West, Central, East Africa Myrmarachne milledgei Pekár, 2017 – Australia (Queensland) Myrmarachne mixiaoqii Wang & Li, 2023 – China (Hainan) Myrmarachne moesta (Thorell, 1877) – Indonesia (Sulawesi) Myrmarachne morningside Benjamin, 2015 – Sri Lanka Myrmarachne myrmicaeformis (Lucas, 1871) – Algeria Myrmarachne naro Wanless, 1978 – Kenya Myrmarachne natalica Lessert, 1925 – South Africa Myrmarachne nemorensis (G. W. Peckham & E. G. Peckham, 1892) – Myanmar Myrmarachne nigella Simon, 1901 – Philippines. Introduced to Hawaii Myrmarachne nigeriensis Wanless, 1978 – Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola Myrmarachne nigra (Thorell, 1877) – Indonesia (Sulawesi) Myrmarachne nitidissima (Thorell, 1877) – Malaysia (Borneo), Indonesia (Sulawesi)