VISUAL MIMICRY
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 nonvenomous 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
More Batesian mimicry
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
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)
Peckhamian mimicry
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
turtle’s mouth
More 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 .
Peckhamian mimicry in
carnivorous plants
The fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera) and the Venus Flytrap,
(Dionaea muscipula) attract insects that they digest
Aposematic colouration:
(maybe) I’m poiseness
Sea slugs of the genus
Chromodoris
The distasteful grasshopper
Acripeza reticulata
More aposematic colours:
(maybe) I’m poiseness
Warning colours in amphibians and insects
Signs of warning:
(maybe) I’m dangerous
Beetles like the Staphylinidae (right) and Phosphaenus hemipterus (left)
mimic scorpions that may scare predators.
Signs of warning:
(maybe) I’m dangerous
Some planthoppers (Homoptera) mimic jumping spiders probably to avoid
some predators, such as ants and even the jumping spiders
More signs of warning:
(maybe) I’m dangerous
Madoryx oiclus
Polyphemus Moths
Pleurodema thaul
Papilio troilus
Chaetodon captistratus
The false eye-spots in some species may frighten off or throw
into disorder their predators
Wasmannian mimicry
Araeoschizus sp.
Reichenbachia spatulifer
Some beetles mimic ants in order to be provided with food, shelter and protection
Camouflage
The moth Datana sp. (Notodontidae) mimics the rain forest floor
Camouflage
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”
Egg-spots
Among cichlids the males of maternal mouthbrooders wear
“egg-dummies” on their anal fin that are crucial to mating