Why Sun Spiders Kill Ants Without Eating Them

Sun spiders, also known as camel spiders, aren’t actually spiders at all. They have a fearsome reputation and will prey on a variety of insects, ranging from wasps to silverfish. Although sun spiders do not seem to want to eat ants, they will kill large numbers of them at once. Why do sun spiders attack ants with such vigor if not to eat? Nobody knows for sure, but experts have a few theories.

Arachnids of the Desert

Sun spiders are arachnids in the order of Solifugae. There are over 1,000 species within the order. Common names include sun spider, wind scorpion, Egyptian giant solpugid, and camel spider. These arachnids are neither spiders nor scorpions. They are similar in appearance to scorpions, but they don’t have stingers or claws. Like other arachnids, sun spiders have eight legs and two pedipalps near their mouths. These sticky pedipalps help them catch and eat prey, as well as drink water.

Sun spiders can be found in deserts around the world, except in Antarctica and Australia. In the U.S., they can be found in the southwest deserts of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Although sun spiders are typically around six inches long, rumors and myths often exaggerate their size. A viral photo in 2004 made the internet rounds during the Gulf War when a group of soldiers were seen standing next to an enormous-looking camel spider. However, it was later revealed that the arachnid was the typical size of around six inches, but the false perspective in the photo made it seem supersized.

Sun Spiders: The Fastest Arachnid

Unless you live in the desert, you aren’t likely to have witnessed these quick-moving arachnids. They must have made a strong impression on the soldiers stationed in the desert of the Middle East. Sun spiders can travel 10 miles per hour, the fastest of any arachnid. Sun spiders aren’t venomous and do not pose a lethal threat to humans.

They will try to avoid people if possible, but if threatened, they may bite. The bite is said to be excruciatingly painful. When they eat their prey, they release digestive fluids to liquefy their prey outside of their bodies. Like other arachnids, they don’t chew their food but need to break the food down into a liquid so they can drink it. Though not deadly to humans, sun spiders prey on insects as well as birds and small animals, such as lizards and rodents. They run up quickly to their victims and seize them in their powerful jaws.

Sun Spiders vs. Ants

There are numerous videos online showing sun spiders attacking and dismembering ants at the entrance to ant colonies. The sun spiders strike with incredible speed as the bodies of the ants pile up around them. This video short, posted by @smokeyura on YouTube, shows a frantic scene in Arizona. A sun spider is attacking ants trying to get into their burrow in the ground. The sun spider hovers over the entrance, attacking the ants, as only a few ants make an escape safely underground.

The video is titled “Sun spider killing fire ants.” However, several commenters mention the ants are likely red carpenter ants instead of fire ants. Both species are similar in appearance and are present in Arizona. Whether these are carpenter ants or fire ants, they are having a dire struggle at the entrance of their nest. At times, multiple ants run at the sun spider, trying to defend their colony. The sun spider bites the ants, leaving them maimed and writhing on the ground. Carpenter ants do not sting, but their strong jaws can inflict painful bites. They also spray formic acid into the wounds they create.

How Do Ants Defend Themselves?

The sting from fire ants can be terribly painful. When a fire ant’s mound is disturbed, thousands of individuals will swarm and sting the intruder. This is why, in the video we referenced, the ants were probably red carpenter ants. Had they been fire ants, they likely would have swarmed out of the nest and overpowered the lone sun spider. Fire ants also build easy-to-spot mounds without a visible entrance hole. In the video we watched, the entrance hole was large and flat on the ground.

Carpenter ants do not sting, but their strong jaws can inflict painful bites. They also spray formic acid into the wounds they create. They have strong jaws and spray formic acid into the wounds they create with their bites.

Why Do Sun Spiders Kill Ants?

In the video, we never see the sun spider feasting on the ants. Instead, it seems intent on killing every ant it sees. Scientists once speculated that sun spiders killed multiple ants to eat later, but a 2014 study disproved this theory, showing that sun spiders do not eat the ants they kill. Their motivation for killing ants appears unrelated to feeding.

Experts hypothesize that the sun spiders might be attempting to take over the ant nest, looking for some shade in the hot desert sun. Sun spiders hunt only at night and seek shelter from the sun during the day, often hiding under rocks or in underground burrows. It is possible that the sun spider in the video wanted to use the ant burrow for shelter and killed the ants to take over their home. While the video we saw was shot in Arizona, the strange ant-killing behavior has been observed by sun spiders around the world.