Army ants do not eat nectar like most ants. Army ants eat other insects such as spiders, lizards, and even carcasses. However, why don't they attack tarantulas?
Revealing how predator ants live with spiders and tarantulas. Researchers found that army ants actually ignore tarantulas. According to them, the relationship between ants and tarantulas is actually quite tense, but there is a friendlier interaction between them that has been found.
Predator Ants Are Aggressive to Spiders Most spiders are reluctant to deal with ants because these insects are aggressive. Even some types of ants have venom, and most are dangerous for some reason. In fact, some spiders make ants their food. However, on the other hand, some ants also prey on spiders.
Usually, ant attacks can attract spiders to places they have never been before, so spiders need to be aware of these insects. Moreover, ants have queens that can produce up to 800 eggs per day which will hatch and grow into adults in about 1-1.5 months.
Because of this relationship between spiders and ants, it’s interesting for researchers to learn more about why spiders, and tarantulas in particular, aren’t attacked by ants.
Why Ants Don’t Attack Tarantulas
Arachnologist at the University of Turku in Finland and lead author of the study, Alireza Zamani, explored the complex relationship between tarantulas and other animals. In rare cases, when ants cross paths, tarantulas offer them protection using their stiff hairs. They found that army ants help burrowing tarantulas, which live in burrows, remove old food from their burrows. However, the spiders still need protection if the ants bite.
The hair defense hypothesis thus appears to support previous research showing that burrowing tarantulas cover their egg sacs with hairs to keep ants at bay.
"The thick hairs that cover the tarantula make it difficult for ants to bite or sting the spider,"
"Therefore, we believe that the hairs may have evolved as a defense mechanism,"
Other Spiders Have Unique Defense Strategies
Generally, orb-web spiders have weapons in the form of silk produced with high strength, good elasticity and high adhesiveness.
In a study by Schichang Zhang and colleagues, the spider Nephila antipodiana whose spider web silk can be a defense against ants because of the chemicals contained in the web. The chemicals are pyrrolidine alkaloids that provide protection from ant invasion, so they can threaten natural enemies.
Zamani and other researchers also found that arboreal tarantulas that are not very hairy, such as Avicularia hirschii in Peru, are vulnerable to attack by ants. So this tarantula developed a different defense strategy against ants.
In one observation, A. hirschii hung from the tips of leaves to avoid ants while hunting for prey. The relationship between spiders and other animals such as amphibians was also studied. In Zamani's study, more than 60 partnerships collected tarantulas and amphibians from 10 different countries.
"It appears that toads and frogs that live in tarantula hideouts receive benefits, such as shelter and protection from predators,"
In return, the toads and frogs eat insects that can harm the spiders, their eggs, and their young. So tarantulas are not as scary and threatening as their body shape might suggest.
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