Mimicry refers to the similarities between species. Mimicry is a form of symbiosis where a species may mimic the colors, patterns, or even behavior of another species for one of two reasons.
Introduction 1. either to be able to get closer to unsuspecting prey or … 2. in the case of a harmless species to gain protection by imitating a predator or poisonous species.
Introduction Comparing mimicry with camouflage or deceptive behavior, protection by mimicry is the most cost effective. The mimicking species does not have to change its behavior or stay against a safe background to disguise itself.
Introduction It can go about its daily life without extra protections. There are several described forms of mimicry utilized by both predator and prey:
Various kinds of mimicry Batesian mimicry: resemblance of harmless species to some non-edible species that signals their unsuitability to possible predators Müllerian mimicry: resemblance of aposematic signals of different non-edible species Peckhamian mimicry: resemblance of predators messages to messages of some species, or to some objects, that are harmless to their prey Wasmannian mimicry: occurs when the mimic resembles it's host in order to live within the same nest or structure
Batesian mimicry
Batesian mimicry
More Batesian mimicry The toxic sea slug Phillidiella pustulosa (left) is mimicked by a harmless flatworm Pseudoceros imitatus
More Batesian mimicry The harmless Allobates zaparo (top) mimics the poiseness Epipedobates biliguis (middle) and the even more toxic species E. parvalus whenever these species share their habitats
More Batesian mimicry The venomous coral snake Micrurus fulvius and its non- venomous mimic the king snake Lampropeltis triangulum
More Batesian mimicry The viceroy butterfly Limenitis archippus (left) has evolved to mimic and look like the foul-tasting and poisonous monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus
More Batesian mimicry The filefish Canthigaster valentini (left) mimics the unpalatable puffer Paraluterus prionurus
The Harlequin Snake eel (Myrichthys colubrinus) mimics the Banded sea snake (Laticauda colubrina) an extremely toxic species with conspicuous black and white warning colouration More Batesian mimicry
The mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) has the ability to mimic other aquatic creatures in order to avoid predation More Batesian mimicry
Müllerian mimicry Many stinging wasps, like (from left to right) Vespula vulgaris, Vespula germanica and Vespula rufa share the same or similar black and yellow aposematic colour pattern.
Müllerian mimicry Subspecies of Heliconius erato (left-hand column) and of H. melpomene on the right. Both species are toxic and form a local mimicry ring from a different area of Ecuador or northern Peru
Müllerian mimicry The unpalatable soldier beetles (Cantharidae) mimic the distateful lycid beetles (Lycidae) and, when flying, the wasp
More Müllerian mimicry Unpalatable caterpillors of St. Jacobbutterfly mimic stinging wasps and venomous coral snakes
The use of black and yellow as a warning sign (RESEMBLING POISENESS SPECIES)
This anglar fish (Antenarius sp.) displays a lure resembling a small fish Peckhamian mimicry
In its mouth, the Alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temminckii) possesses a wormlike projection that is moved to attract prey into the turtles mouth Peckhamian mimicry
The orchard spiders (Celaenia sp.) mimic bird droppings to look unappatising and attract moths by scent More Peckhamian mimicry
The bolas spider Mastophora hutchinsoni emits chemical attractants that mimic the sex pheromones of its moth prey More Peckhamian mimicry
Some spiders like the Synemosyninae and the genus Myrmarachne mimic ants that they hunt More Peckhamian mimicry
Lightning bugs (Lampiridae) have specific flash sequences to find eachother. Females of the genus Photurus can imitate the flash sequence of Photunis females in order to attract male wich they will devour. More Peckhamian mimicry
The fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera) and the Venus Flytrap, (Dionaea muscipula) attract insects that they digest Peckhamian mimicry in carnivorous plants
Aposematic colouration: (maybe) Im poiseness Sea slugs of the genus The distasteful grasshopper Chromodoris Acripeza reticulata
More aposematic colours: (maybe) Im poiseness Warning colours in amphibians and insects
Beetles like the Staphylinidae (right) and Phosphaenus hemipterus (left) mimic scorpions that may scare predators. Signs of warning: (maybe) Im dangerous
Some planthoppers (Homoptera) mimic jumping spiders probably to avoid some predators, such as ants and even the jumping spiders Signs of warning: (maybe) Im dangerous
More signs of warning: (maybe) Im dangerous The false eye-spots in some species may frighten off or throw into disorder their predators Madoryx oiclus Polyphemus Moths Pleurodema thaul Papilio troilus Chaetodon captistratus
Some beetles mimic ants in order to be provided with food, shelter and protection Wasmannian mimicry Araeoschizus sp. Reichenbachia spatulifer
Camouflage The moth Datana sp. (Notodontidae) mimics the rain forest floor
The frog Paradoxophyla palmata mimics the mud and tree trunks in its environment. Camouflage
The insect Phyllium giganteum mimics a leaf to disguise itself Camouflage
The praying mantis Hymenopus coronatus uses its elegantly-lobed hind legs and pink and white coloration to camouflage itself amongst the native orchid flowers Camouflage
The pygmy seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti mimics gorgonian corals of the genus Muricella Camouflage
The starry flounder Platichthys stellatus makes use of melanophores and chromophores to adapt to the sea floor Camouflage
The great bittern Botaurus stellaris is pretty well camouflaged in its natural habitat Camouflage
The zebra Equus burchelli and the leopard Panthera Pardus may look conspicuous to us but are quite difficult to spot at dusk, especially when beïng colour-blind Camouflage
Egg-spots Among cichlids the males of maternal mouthbrooders wear egg-dummies on their anal fin that are crucial to mating