Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events


Mimicry of Jumping Spiders (Salticidae) in Insects



Lepidoptera

For a full listing of Nearctic mimics of Salticidae among Lepidoptera, refer to this article.



Micropterigidae

Some species of Sabatinca are salticid mimics.

Mnesarchaeidae

Some Mnesarchella have a row of black spots that may serve as false eyes.

Adelidae

Adela ridingsella and A. austrina may be the only adelids with fully-developed salticid mimicry patterns, though at least Adela astrella may be a lower quality mimic.

Gracillariidae

Some Philodoria are salticid mimics.

Gelechioidea

Salticid mimicry is found in Oecophoridae: Schiffermuelleria, Aeolocosma, and Fabiola; Gelechiidae: Aristotelia elegantella; Stathmopodidae: Hieromantis; Depressariidae: Hypertrophinae: Eupselia; Autostichidae: Hyperskeles; Cosmopterigidae: Labdia and Stagmatophora and Eteobalea; and Lecithoceridae: Crocanthes.

Yponomeutoidea

Salticid mimicry has evolved in at least three lineages of Yponomeutoidea: Glyphipteriginae, Protosynaema (1, 2), and Lithariapteryx. Many Glyphipterix are salticid mimics, as are species of Chrysocentris and Ussara. In most Glyphipteriginae, the forewing forms a false body. False body patterns are found in other Yponomeutoidea, including Lyonetiidae and Argyresthiidae.

Choreutidae

Spider mimicry is common in Choreutidae. There appear to be at least three independently derived patterns. In Tebenna, Caloreas, and Protochoreutis, the eyespots appear near the anal angle of the forewing, and the distalmost spot is separated from the outer margin only by the terminal line. The arrangement of eyespots in these genera differs markedly from the line or arc found in nearly all spider mimic moths, possibly indicating that Salticidae is not the model. In Brenthia, Litobrenthia, the hindwings have false legs and are held out beyond and past the forewings, which are raised behind the body, generating a forward-facing image of a salticid. False legs are present on the forewings of some Asterivora and Prochoreutis, notably extending from the anal angle to the costa; eyespots when present are proximal to the false legs along the inner margin.

Tortricidae

Olethreutinae

Salticid mimicry has evolved multiple times in Nearctic Eucosmini, all in the closely related genera Pelochrista and Eucosma. In all cases, the spider-mimicking markings are found entirely on the distal half of the forewing. The false eyes form within the ocellus, a marking near the anal angle of the forewing of many Olethreutinae. The ocellus in these species is bounded by a silvery stria on the basal margin and another on the distal margin and contains one or two rows of black dots or dashes, sometimes each split into a pair of rows, often with one or more silver striae separating some of the black markings within each row. The false body borders the ocellus and consists of a lighter field peppered with black or brown scales; the false legs are formed by silvery striae around the false body and occupy the rest of the area between the ocellus and the costa. The basal half of the forewing is streaked in many spider-mimicking species; these streaks are generally absent or inconspicuous among the false legs. In the ocellus, the streaks are black and broken, forming the eyespots; the streaks usually manifest in the false body as higher concentrations of dark scales.

Three Pelochrista species (scintillana, fratruelis, and fraudabilis), all unplaced to species group, are complete salticid mimics. The nine species of the Eucosma refusana group are all complete salticid mimics. The 13 species of the Eucosma artemisiana group all have false eyes, in some strongly developed, but only some have a false body. The striae forming the false legs, when present, are white rather than silver and therefore inconspicuous against the usually whitish ground color they overlay. Curiously, at least two of the species are polymorphic, with some individuals completely lacking spider-mimicking markings. The Palearctic Eucosma pupillana, which has false eyes and body and white and silver striae, seems to belong to this group. Three species in the Eucosma circulana group (circulana, gemellana, and paragemellana) are salticid mimics with strongly developed eyespots and false legs but no false body. Another member of the circulana group (glomerana) has weakly developed eyespots, an inconspicuous false body, and no false legs; another member of the species group (giganteana) is a bird dropping mimic with weakly developed false eyes.

Additionally, at least three Palearctic Olethreutini (Olethreutes arcuella, O. captiosana, and O. subtilana) are salticid mimics, with markings similar to those of the salticid mimic Eucosmini.

All seven described species of Cimeliomorpha (Enarmoniini) are mimics of Salticidae (Pinkaew & Horak, 2019). Hystrichophora loricana (Enarmoniini) is an unusual salticid mimic in that the spider is portrayed in a lateral rather than frontal view. The eyespots are simple black dots along the edge of a whitish field peppered with black, and the false legs are formed by the bright orange ground color between the last several white costal strigulae.

Some Phricanthes (Phricanthini) have false eyes on the forewings.

At least two Hilarographini are salticid mimics. Thaumatographa regalis is a complete mimic with typical patterning. Mictocommosis nigromaculata is a complete but atypical mimic of Salticidae, with a cluster of false eyes in the ocellus, a silvery area mimicking palpi, and silver false legs.

Unidentified Olethreutinae Unidentified Grapholitini

Tortricinae

Salticid mimicry is rare in Tortricinae but has evolved multiple times. Nexosa (Archipini) (Tortricid.net) and Mictopsichia (in an undescribed tribe) have well-developed eyespots on the outer margin of the hindwing, leg markings on the forewing, and a field of black reticulation on fore- and hindwings. Drachmobola (Cnephasiini) have a pattern of markings on the forewing suggestive of salticid mimicry and a black scale tuft on the hindwing that extends past the inner margin of the forewing at rest resembles a row of eyes. Phtheochroa schreibersiana (Cochylini) may be an unsophisticated salticid mimic.

Crambidae

The eyespots are derived from the terminal dots of the hindwings and Musotiminae, from the terminal dots of the forewing in Crambinae except in some Glaucocharis with false eyes on the abdomen, and variably in Glaphyriinae. They occur along the outer margin of the hindwings in Acentropinae and near the outer margin of the hindwings in a single species of Spilomelinae.

Acentropinae

Jumping spider mimicry is very widespread in Acentropinae. Salticid mimic species hold their wings in a tent-like formation, with the hindwings partially exposed to reveal eyespots along the outer margin. The false legs are on the forewings, and the peppering of black flecks serving as the false body is found on one or both sets of wings.

Crambinae

Salticid mimicry has evolved in at least five lineages: Euchromiini: Euchromius, Diptychophorini: Glaucocharis, Calamotrophini: Calamotropha, and two incertae sedis genera: Metaeuchromius and Miyakea.

Glaphyriinae

At least six genera mimic Salticidae. In Chalcoela, Dicymolomia, Cosmopterosis, and Aureopteryx, the terminal dots of the hindwing form eyespots. In all these except Aureopteryx, a peppered spider body covers part of the hindwing below the eyespots; in Chalcoela and Dicymolomia, it extends onto the forewing. Spider leg markings on the forewing are weakly developed in Cosmopterosis and most Dicymolomia and strongly developed in Dicymolomia opuntialis. In Stiphrometasia, a series of eyespots extends across the forewing from the inner margin near the anal angle to the end of the discal cell. In Noorda, the eyespots occur along the abdomen, which is often held up slightly so that the eyespots are visible laterally just above the forewings, which weakly mimic a salticid's body and legs.

Schoenobiinae

Archischoenobius

Spilomelinae

A small clade of African species currently misplaced in Furcivena have salticid mimicry patterning on the undersides of the wings (J. Hayden, pers. comm. 24 vi 2023). At least one other species is a salticid mimic (Munroe, 1991).

Musotiminae

Eyespots along the outer margin of the hindwing are developed well in Eugauria, weakly in Ambia, and minimally in Neomusotima and Austromusotima. Eugauria and Ambia additionally have weakly developed leg markings on the forewings and pose with their wings spread in a display visible in front of the moth. Additionally, Siamusotima includes a remarkable spider mimic with mostly white wings with four distinct pairs of red legs radiating from a black blotch.

Unidentified crambid

Papilionoidea

Nymphalidae

Some Cyllopsis have a region along the outer margin on the underside of the hindwing that mimics a salticid, as do many Splendeuptychia (both Satyrini: Euptychiina). Argyronympha (Coenonymphina) are less-conventionally-marked mimics. The eyespots are derived from the round false eyes found between the PM and ST lines of forewings and hindwings in many Nymphalidae. False eyes are found in many Satyrinae, especially Satyrini: most species of Euptychiina, Mycalesina, Lethina, Ypthimina, Coenonymphina, and Eritina, in some Pronophilina and Maniolina, and in a less developed form in Erebiina. They are also found in some Nymphalinae, Apaturinae, and a few Heliconiiae, Biblidinae, and Charaxinae. Presumably homologous false eyes are found in a few Riodinidae as well.

Lycaenidae

Most Polyommatinae have dark spots on the underside of the hindwing between veins between the ST and T lines; in some, these are developed into eyespots. In Brephidium, Freyeria putli, Oraidium barberae, four such eyespots occur in mimicry of a jumping spider. In Brephidium, the false eyes are bordered basally by a white patch; in Brephidium and less convincingly Freyeria, the transverse lines of the hindwing are broken into numerous short lines, which form the false palpi. In Brephidium, several short oblique lines suggest legs; in Freyeria, a false eye occluded with metallic silver is found on each end of the four black eyes, just hinting at spider legs. In Oraidium, orange coloring along the two veins immediately to each side of the row of false eyes serves as false legs; white peppering basad of the false eyes forms the false palpi. Lachnocnema (Miletinae) are mimics of Salticidae with a very similar pattern to that of Oraidium. Theclinae, many Aphnaeinae, and some Polyommatinae and Lycaeninae have tails on the hindwings serving as false legs and antennae along with one or more eyespot.

Day-flying: Adelidae, Oecophoridae, Autostichidae, Glyphipterigidae, Choreutidae, Olethreutini, Enarmoniini, Mictopsichia, Glaucocharis, Musotiminae

Trichoptera

Mimicry of Salticidae has evolved least once in caddisflies (Trichoptera), in Nectopsyche (Leptoceridae). Many Macronematinae (Hydropsychidae) have false body patterns but lack eyespots. Some Macrostemum (Macronematinae) appear to be ant mimics. A single Paleotropical macronematine, Amphipsyche gratiosa, features several eyespots near the tip of each forewing but no distinct false body or legs.



Diptera

Tephritoidea

Among flies, salticid mimicry is most widespread in Tephritidae; a majority of Nearctic species in this family bear wing patterns with at least a passing resemblance to salticid legs. Peronyma quadrifasciata additionally has four glossy black spots on the posterior margin of the thorax resembling salticid eyes. The related families Ulidiidae and Platystomatidae (Rivellia) also include some apparent salticid mimics, and one Nearctic ulidiid, Delphinia picta, may mimic an ant or jumping spider. Ceratitis capitata, one of the two invasive agricultural pests in the subfamily Dacinae in the US, is a more sophisticated salticid mimic than any native Nearctic fly. In addition to false legs on each wing, dark spots on the thorax resemble eyes.

Chironomidae

Goeldichironomus carus has glossy black spots on the thorax mimicking salticid eyes.

Other

Possible spider mimicry occurs in Lauxaniidae. Likely ant or spider mimicry occurs in Platystomatidae.

Hyaline markings on the wings seemingly without a mimicry function but broadly similar to those found in mimics occur in a number of families, including Diastatidae, Ephydridae, Drosophilidae. Other complex wing patterns, mostly reticulated or spotted, occur in numerous families of flies, including [Nematocera] Anisopodidae, Keroplatidae, Mycetophilidae, Ceratopogonidae, Chaoboridae, Culicidae, Psychodidae, Tanyderidae, Limoniidae, Pediciidae, Tipulidae; [Orthorrhapha] Rhagionidae, Bombyliidae; [Acalyptratae] Ephydridae, Lauxaniidae, Sciomyzidae, Pallopteridae, and Pyrgotidae).

Hemiptera

Fulgoroidea

Cixiidae

Advanced salticid mimicry is found in Brixia and Pintalia. Apparent false eyes along the outer margin of the forewing along with partial false legs along the costal margin occur in Cubana. Some genera have markings that may serve as false bodies, including Pachyntheisa and Tachycixius.

Derbidae

At least three Rhotana species have false legs on their forewings. Some species have false eyes on the forewings, hindwings, or both. Those with eyespots on the hindwings hold their forewings elevated and apart to partially uncover the hindwings, creating a forward-facing frontal image of a jumping spider. In those with eyespots only on the forewings, the spider image is visible laterally. Salticid mimicry occurs in in Cenchreini as well.

Delphacidae

Possible spider mimicry is found in Tropidocephala. False heads and bodies are found in some genera, including Saccharosydne, Pseudomacrocorupha, Stenocranus, Delphax, and Euides. Hapalomelus may mimic ants.

Eurybrachidae

Eyespots on the front of the head of both adult and immature Gelastopsis mimic Salticidae.

Caliscelidae

Caliscelis are largely morphological mimics of Salticidae.

Dictyopharidae

Eyespots on the front of the head and side of the prothorax of Ticida mimic Salticidae.

Mimarachnidae and Fulgoridiidae

These extinct families, one known from the Cretaceous and other from the Jurassic, included apparent spider mimics despite the fossil Salticidae postdating the Cretaceous. A potential alternative mimicry model is the extinct family Lagonomegopidae, known from the Cretaceous, which like Salticidae had very large anterior eyes and may have occupied a similar niche to Salticidae as active visual hunters (Shcherbakov, 2007).

Cicadellidae

While leafhoppers are a large family of small to minute and often brightly colored and intricately patterned insects, few species have false heads or bodies. Scaphytopius majestus is one of the few leafhoppers with a false head.

Psocodea

Salticid mimicry occurs in at least four families of barklice (Psocodea). By far the most vibrant wing patterns in barklice are found in Amphientomidae (cf. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). At least two (iNat; Hill et al., 2019) species in the family are good salticid mimics, as is a cosmopolitan species of Stenopsocidae, Graphopsocus cruciatus. At least one species of Thyrsophorinae (Psocidae) appears to be an unusually-marked spider mimic with false eyes at the base of the forewings, as does a species of Dasydemellidae. Some Cerastipsocus (Psocidae: Psocinae), which are gregarious as nymphs and adults, have wing markings resembling legs and three black spots near the base of each wing that may serve as false eyes.

Psocinae (Psocidae), Thyrsophorinae (Psocidae), Elipsocidae, and Caeciliusidae include species with hyaline wing markings that vaguely resemble false legs without a clear mimicry model. At least one genus of gregarious Psocinae (Clematoscenea) bear false legs in the distal half of the forewings that may mimic an ant or jumping spider. At least one psocid (Thyrsophorinae: Thyrsophorus sp.) exhibits a wing pattern clearly mimicking an ant.

Unidentified 1 (a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i) 2 (a, b, c, d).



Neuroptera

Psychopsis includes mimics of Salticidae and of bird droppings. P. mimica (Newman, 1842) is a salticid mimic; Newman did not specify his derivation of its specific epithet.

References

Aiello, A. & V.O. Becker, 2004. Display of the" Peacock Moth": Brenthia spp. (Choreutidae: Brenthiinae). J. Lep. Soc. 58(1): 55–58

Floren, A., & S. Otto, 2001. A tropical Derbidae (Fulgoroidae, Homoptera) that mimics a predator (Salticidae, Araneae). Ecotropica 7: 151–153.

Greene, E., Orsak L.J., & D.W. Whitman, 1987. A tephritid fly mimics the territorial displays of its jumping spider predators. Science 236: 310–312.

Hill, D.E., Abhijith A.P.C., & J.P. Burini, 2019. Do jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) draw their own portraits? Peckhamia 179(1): 1–14.

Mather, M.H. & B.D. Roitberg, 1987. A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing: Tephritid Flies Mimic Spider Predators. Science 236: 318–310.

Munroe, E., 1991. Transfer of Autocodes eupselias Meyrick to Pyraustinae, with notes on Marasmia Lederer and on cataclystiform wing patterns in the family Crambidae (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea). Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap. 31: 122–130.

Pinkaew, N. & M. Horak, 2019. Revision of the genus Cimeliomorpha Diakonoff (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Zootaxa 4615(3): 457–480. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4615.3.3

Rota, J. & D.L. Wagner, 2006. Predator mimicry: metalmark moths mimic their spider predators. PLoS ONE 1(1): e45. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000045

Rota, J., C. Peña, & S.E. Miller, 2016. The importance of long-distance dispersal and establishment events in small insects: historical biogeography of metalmark moths (Lepidoptera, Choreutidae). Journal of Biogeography 43(6): 1254–1265.

Shcherbakov, D.E., 2007. Mesozoic spider mimics — Cretaceous Mimarachnidae fam.n. (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Russian Entomol. J. 16(3): 259–264.

Sohn, J.-C., J.C. Regier, C. Mitter, D. Davis, J.-F. Landry, A. Zwick, & M.P. Cummings, 2013. A Molecular Phylogeny for Yponomeutoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Ditrysia) and Its Implications for Classification, Biogeography and the Evolution of Host Plant Use. PLoS ONE 8(1): e55066.

Solis, M.A., Yen S.-H., Goolsby J.H., Wright T., Pemberton R., Winotai A., Chattrukul U., Thagong A., & Rimbut S, 2005. Siamusotima aranea, a New Stem-Boring Musotimine (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) from Thailand Feeding on Lygodium flexuosum (Schizaeaceae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 98(6) 887–895.

Solis, M.A., M.A. Metz, & D.H. Janzen, 2009. Phylogenetic Analysis of Cosmopterosis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Glaphyriinae) with Discussions on Male Secondary Sexual Characters and Larval Feeding on Capparis (Capparaceae) in the Pyraloidea and Lepidoptera (Insecta). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 102(5): 766–784.

Wang, M.-Y., 2009. Exploring the jumping spider mimicry of Eugauria albidentata (Lepidoptera, Crambidae, Musotiminae) through ethological and visual ecological approaches. Masters thesis, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. [ref].

Wang, M.-Y., V. Vasas, L. Chittka, & S.-H. Yen, 2017. Sheep in wolf's clothing: multicomponent traits enhance the success of mimicry in spider-mimicking moths. Animal Behaviour 127: 219–224. [PDF]

Zolnerowich, G., 1992. A unique Amycle nymph (Homoptera: Fulgoridae) that mimics jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). J. New York Entomol. Soc. 100: 498–502.

How about these guys

 
Definitely
Salticid legs (but not eyespots, as far as I can recall) occur in at least three families of Tephritoidea: Platystomatidae, Tephritidae, and Ulidiidae. I can't think of examples in other orders. I looked at all identified species of Trichoptera from outside the Nearctic on iNaturalist as well as all observations in some less-photographed regions (Africa, etc.) I found only the examples included above.

 
Maybe?
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/190644334

 
A great mimic
Thanks

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.