The crab spider, Aphantochilus rogersi (Thomisidae), is a morphological mimic of the spiny and chemically defended ant Cephalotes (formerly Zacryptocerus) pusillus. Like its ant model, the spider bears a dull black cuticle, an oval-shaped abdomen, and a robust cephalothorax adorned with dorsal spines. It walks with an ant-like gait and wiggles its front legs ahead of its body like a pair of antennae.
Yet, with only two body segments, A. rogersi is a tuncated and imperfect replica of the posterior portion of an ant. This absence of an ant-like "head" is corrected by the spiders' unusual tendency to hold aloft the corpses of dead C. pusillus workers as they wander near the nests of C. pusillus (Piza 1937). Carrying an ant corpse not only creates a visual impression of an ant transporting a nestmate, but, as Paulo Oliveira and Ivan Sazima (1984) discovered, the corpse may also act like a chemical or tactile shield that allows the spider to go undetected among living ants.
Unlike other morphological mimics that are only spatially associated with ants, A. rogersi also feeds exclusively on Cephalotes and will reject a buffet of other ants and insect species when offered (Oliveira and Sazima 1984). During feeding, the spiders drain and hollow out the corpses of C. pusillus without damaging their exterior. The corpses are then carried and used as a shield for up to three days during interactions with living ants.