Arachnologische Mitteilungen
https://arages.de/zeitschrift/arachnologische-mitteilungenDentici A & Bianco VFL
A taste for ants: potential obligate myrmecophagy in Lasaeola (Araneae: Theridiidae)
Eine Vorliebe für Ameisen: Potentielle obligate Myrmekophagie durch die Gattung Lasaeola (Araneae: Theridiidae)
Heft 70
Ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) by the genus Lasaeola Simon, 1881 is a behaviour sporadically reported in the scientific literature and frequently observed in images uploaded to various online platforms. While these scattered observations confirm the existence of this predator-prey interaction, a systematic analysis of these observations has never been undertaken. Here, we present the first formal analysis and compilation of documented cases of myrmecophagy in Lasaeola, providing evidence that obligate ant predation is a likely foraging strategy for this genus.
Arachnid ecology, myrmecophagy, predatory behaviour, spider-ant interactions, trophic specialization