Exploitation of the green tree ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, by the salticidspider Cosmophasis bitaeniata

The salticid spider Cosmophasis bitaeniata is a myrmecophilic associate of the green tree ant, Oecophylla smaragdina. The abundance of C. bitaeniata o n a tree or shrub is positively correlated with the number of nests of O. s maragdina on that vegetation. Experiments with captive spiders confirmed th at the spiders prey on the larvae of their highly territorial and aggressiv e ant host, typically by removing the larvae from the mandibles of minor wo rkers. C. bitaeniata avoids direct contact with major workers of O. smaragd ina in daylight, but congeners elicited higher activity levels of major wor kers than either nestmate workers or C. bitaeniata. These data suggest that C. bitaeniata may be an exploitative chemical mimic of its host.