Contents (click to enlarge) Animals that use mimicry What is Batesian mimicry? What is Mullerian mimicry? Why do animals mimic: purpose and benefits Mimicry is defined as the close resemblance of one organism to another or to the natural objects it lives on.
This skill helps the animal to blend in, hunt and survive!
What comes to mind when you see the word mimicry?
But did you know that mimicry is one of the most interesting concepts in nature?
Animals and plants also imitate certain features of other creatures and the world around them.
A Mimic Octopus Can Mimic Other Sea Creatures (Photo Credit: Ethan Daniels/Shutterstock) Mimicry can be observed when animals exhibit physical or behavioral characteristics of another species, or even aspects of the environment in which the animal normally resides.
The simple reason it occurs naturally in animals is that it provides a survival advantage.
However, they do not intentionally imitate objects or other species.
Animals That Use Mimicry If you’ve ever been on a nature walk, chances are you’ve been inches from insects.
However, you would never see them because they look so much like the bark they are sitting on.
However, this specific feature gives them a huge survival advantage.
Just like us, other predators cannot sense the presence of such an animal, which prevents them from killing them in the act of predation.
A leafy insect that blends perfectly with green plants (Photo credit: Matee Nuserm/Shutterstock) But that’s not all!
Sometimes animals imitate other animals to avoid being eaten by larger predators.
They also mimic external features such as color and shape to attract prey.
You’ll even find a number of different animals that mimic other species of their own kind to take advantage of their unique traits.
One great example is the viceroy butterfly, which mimics the monarch butterfly in the color and pattern of its wings.
The monarch butterfly is considered poisonous, so even the vice butterfly is not eaten by predators due to its monarch-like wings!
Similarly, the moth Sesia crabroniformis mimics the dangerous stinging wasp Vespa crabro to avoid becoming prey.
It can be concluded that these plants and animals have long developed tricks and deceptions, all to increase their chances of survival!
Also read: Why do some animals’ colors keep them safe? What is Batesian Mimicry?
Let’s try to understand this concept through an example.
Of these, only B has poisonous chemistry in the form of stingers, thorns, or other properties that are harmful to predators.
On the other hand, A and C are only similar to B, but because of previous unpleasant experiences with B, the predator avoids all organisms A, B, and C because they are so similar.
This is known as Batesian mimicry.
Similar color patterns of Viceroy and Monarch butterflies (Photo credit: Maquiladora/Shutterstock) This type of mimicry is named after British scientist Henry Walter Bates, who pioneered the observation of mimicry patterns in Amazonian butterflies.
Therefore, the example mentioned above with the vice-flat butterfly, which imitates the monarch butterfly, fits perfectly into this category.
Batesian mimicry can also be observed in milk snakes, which have the same body color as venomous coral snakes.
Also read: How do plants protect themselves? What is Muller Mimicry?
This type of mimicry is slightly different from Batesian mimicry.
A group of animals exhibit Müllerian mimicry when they produce the same warning signs to indicate that they are unpleasant or dangerous.
However, it is difficult to understand who is imitating whom in this type of mimicry, since both creatures are poisonous, but have an equal stake in their overall survival.
Bee-like female wasp (Photo credit: Pavel Krasensky/Shutterstock) Thus, we can say that Mullerian mimics exhibit similar warning systems.
It can be the same pattern of bright colors on the body of an animal that declares prey to be unattractive or poisonous to predators.
After having a bad experience with a monster showing such a pattern, it will avoid all similar patterns in the future.
Prominent examples of creatures that rely on this type of mimicry are bees, yellow jackets, and wasps, all of which are stinging insects with the same black-and-yellow exterior coloration.
Why Animals Mimic: Its Purpose and Benefits Mimicry, like many other phenomena in plant and animal biology, is driven by evolutionary forces.
Therefore, facial expressions help them avoid such situations and help them survive.
Leaf insect camouflage among plants and impersonation of a poisonous creature by a non-venomous animal are effective survival techniques.
In addition, some animals use this phenomenon to attract prey and satisfy their nutritional needs.
A great example is the orchid mantis; unlike the common green mantis, this variety displays subtle shades of pale purple or pink.
This appearance helps it to deceive the insects that come to pollinate the orchid, but instead it becomes the prey!
Unlike the comedians you see on TV, animals mimic for survival, not for fun.
This facial expression is not only amazing, but also very cunning!
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Mimicry in animals.
The nature of signals, cues and mimicry.
Royal Society.Batesian mimicry – an overview | ScienceDirect topics.
ScienceDirect Chapter 28: The Greatest Batesian Mimicry.
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