Trilobite beetle and lookalike

I finally found my first Trilobite beetle. Well, actually, it was found by my friend, David Fischer. Anyway, when I saw it, I thought it was just another firefly larva (Lampyridae), just like the one I found in Sg Krau, Raub about a month ago!

So here it is, the magnificent Trilobite beetle, natural light. Found in Selangor, Malaysia.


Top view of the same Trilobite beetle:


Side view


A different type of Trilobite found in Sarawak, Borneo.




And now the Trilobite look-alike that got me excited for the wrong reason:D. As mentioned, I found this about a month ago in Sg Krau Forest Reserve, Raub.


It's actually a firefly larva (Lampyridae)




Well, the next time I come across another one of these, I think I will just turn it over to check if there is any light emitting organ on the tip of the abdomen!

More tropical beetles here.

Ant Mimicry - mimics vs models

Ant Mimicry: (from Wikipedia):

Ant mimicry is mimicry of ants by other organisms. Ants are abundant all over the world, and insect predators that rely on vision to identify their prey such as birds and wasps normally avoid them, either because they are unpalatable, or aggressive. Thus some other arthropods mimic ants to escape predation (protective mimicry). Conversely, some species (e.g. Zodariidae spiders) use their anatomical and behavioral ant mimicry to hunt ants (aggressive mimicry). Other cases are also known.[1] The term myrmecomorphy is also used to describe ant mimicry.

Protective mimicry - mimic ants to avoid predation.

Female ant-mimic jumping spider, Myrmarachne sp. (left)  mimicking a weaver ant (right)


Male ant-mimic jumping spider, Myrmarachne sp. mimicking a weaver ant carrying another worker, according to Wikipedia.



A black ant-mimic jumping spider, probably mimicking a Tetraponera sp. ant?


An ant-mimic katydid of Macroxiphus sp. nymph, a mimicry of the Camponotus sp.?


A red and black ant-mimic jumping spider, surely a mimicry of the fearsome semut selangor " Tetraponera rufonigra. (Image taken by Aniruddha, author of "Wanderer's Eye"


Black ant-mimic jumping spider, mimicking the Polyrhachis sp?


An ant-mimicking stick insect nymph:


Ant-mimicking mantis nymph


Ant-mimic Alydidae, two of them.



Aggressive mimicry - mimic ants in order to hunt them!

A male ant mimic crab spider Amyciaea lineatipes with weaver ant prey.


An assassin bug nymph, Acanthaspis petax, with ant carcasses on its back, and an ant prey!

Some awesome ant-mimic spiders of Malaysia

Spiders are really cool, especially those ant-mimic spiders. I have come across and also photographed so many ant-mimic jumping spiders and ant-mimic crab spiders in Malaysia. Here are some of my favorites. More awesome Tropical Spiders here.

All shot with 40D, Canon MPE65 1X-5X macro lens and MT24EX Twin Flash and DIY Concave Diffuser.

A male red ant-mimic jumping spider, Myrmarachne plataleoides


A male Ant mimic jumping spider Myrmarachne plataleoides



A female red ant-mimic jumping spider, Myrmarachne plataleoides


A male red and black ant-mimic jumping spider


A female red and black ant-mimic jumping spider


A male black ant-mimic jumping spider. Don't have a female one yet.


A female ant mimic jumping spider with prey


A black ant mimic jumping spider with prey


Ant-mimic crab spider mating. Amyciaea lineatipes.


A male ant-mimic crab spider with prey - a weaver ant


If you would like to see more spiders, check these out:
1. Ant-mimic crab spider eating weaver ant
2. More ant-mimic spiders
3. Wonderful jumping spiders
4. Ant-mimic crab spider - mating!
5. Male red ant-mimic jumping spider
6. Tropical spiders
7. Jumping spider life cycle
8. Lichen huntsman life cycle

Ant-mimic crab spider eating weaver ant!

Okay, i know you're probably really really really bored of the cute ant-mimic crab spider by now. First, it's the Amyciaea lineatipes alone, then it's the Amyciaea lineatipes mating! What's next?

But this is different - this is eating! Yes, an ant-mimic crab spider with prey! Unfortunately, the spider dropped its food soon after I took a few shots so these are all I've got!

It's clear that the mimicry is for predation. The weaver ants must be quite silly though to fall for a mimicry like that.

I mean, look at the spider's big head and forehead - it's too big and too cute to pass as a weaver ant! Did I mention the spider has a big butt too? :D

All images shot with a Canon 40D, Canon MPE65 1X-5X macro lens and Canon MT24EX Twin Flash with DIY Diffuser.







If you would like to see more spiders, check these out:
1. Red and black ant-mimic jumping spider
2. More ant-mimic spiders
3. Wonderful jumping spiders
4. Ant-mimic crab spider - mating!
5. Male red ant-mimic jumping spider