Insect Mimicry

Mimicry = Resemblance of an organism (the mimic) in color, pattern, form, behavior, or a combination of these to another organism or object (the model).

The taking on by an animal of the look of another sort of animal or thing for the purpose of:

1. keeping itself safe (traditional sense)
2. enhancing predation

Three components:

1. Model - species or object being mimicked.
2. Mimic - looks and acts like another species or object by resembling the models
3. Dupe- the deceived predator or prey.

Kinds of Mimicry

Aggressive mimicry - The development of an appearance of things around it that keeps the mimic from being seen by prey animals. Aggressive mimics resemble the background or signals that it is something else to aid in capturing prey.

Goal of aggressive mimicry is to enhance predation; not to avoid being eaten.

examples:

• Malaysian preying mantids
  • Resemble flowers.
  • Pollinating insects come to the flowers.
  • Captured and consumed.
• Female fireflies of the genus Photuris
  • Photuris females mimic the signal of other firefly species.
  • Responding male firefly is captured and eaten.

Müllerian mimicry - Unrelated species that are distasteful or otherwise protected come to resemble each other.

All are mimics and all are models.

Müllerian mimics advertise their dangerousness by:

• APO somatic (warning) coloration
• Sound - buzzing
• Behavior - aggressive flight
• Examples
  • Lady beetles
  • Honey bees and drone bees (automimicry)
  • South American tree frogs

Batesian mimicry - A harmless mimic resembles an unpalatable, dangerous, or otherwise protected model.

False advertising:

• Auditory mimicry
  • fly wing-beat sound which is very much like the buzzing of a bee
• Visual mimicry - mimic the color and shape of bees
• Behavioral mimicry - aggressive flight behavior
• Example: Monarch Butterfly - a distasteful model for the harmless Viceroy butterfly

Continuity of Mimicry Types
Unpalatable or dangerous		Somewhat unpalatable or dangerous species		Palatable and harmless species
Müllerian mimics	<------------------------------------------------------------------->			Batesian mimics
species resemble each other		resemble each other and a more protected species		mimic a protected species

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Last updated Dec. 30, 2000
Gary Brewer