Types of Mimicry in Biology
Mimicry Type↕ | Mechanism↕ | Mimic Example↕ | Model Example↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Batesian mimicry | Harmless species mimics harmful one | Scarlet kingsnake | Coral snake | Non-venomous mimics get protection from predators trained to avoid the venomous model |
Mullerian mimicry | Multiple harmful species share warning signal | Heliconius butterflies | Other toxic Heliconius | Toxic species converge on the same look, predators learn to avoid them all at once |
Aggressive mimicry | Predator mimics harmless thing | Anglerfish with lure | Small prey-like worm | Predator dangles a lure resembling prey to attract its next meal |
Aggressive mimicry (predator) | Predator mimics cleaner fish | Bluestriped fangblenny | Cleaner wrasse | Fake cleaner bites chunks out of fish that come in for a clean |
Automimicry | Part of body mimics another part | Butterfly hindwing eyespots | Own head | False heads on wings trick predators into striking the wrong end |
Peckhamian mimicry | Predator mimics host or prey | Portia jumping spider | Web prey vibrations | Plucks web strands to lure out and ambush other spiders |
Emsleyan / Mertensian mimicry | Deadly mimic resembles moderately venomous model | Coral snake | Mildly venomous milk snakes | Fatal species mimic less-dangerous ones because dead predators cannot learn |
Vavilovian (crop) mimicry | Weed mimics crop to avoid weeding | Camelina (false flax) | Flax | Plants evolve to look like crops so farmers do not pull them, drives crop rye origin |
Browerian mimicry | Palatable individuals mimic unpalatable ones of same species | Non-toxic monarch butterflies | Toxic monarchs | Caterpillars that fed on non-toxic milkweed still look just like their toxic siblings |
Bakerian mimicry | Female flowers mimic male flowers | Female caricaceae flowers | Male flowers with pollen | Females without nectar mimic rewarding males to trick pollinators |
Dodsonian mimicry | Flower mimics flower of another nectar species | Oncidium orchids | Nectar-producing Malpighiaceae | Non-rewarding orchid copies a rewarding plant to attract its pollinators |
Pouyannian mimicry | Flower mimics female insect | Ophrys bee orchid | Female wasps/bees | Orchid tricks males into pseudocopulation to transfer pollen |
Acoustic mimicry | Sound imitation | Burrowing owl hissing | Rattlesnake rattle | Owlets hiss from burrows to sound like rattlesnakes and deter predators |
Chemical mimicry | Pheromone imitation | Bolas spider | Female moth pheromone | Spider releases moth pheromone to lure male moths, then catches them with a sticky bolas |
Mimesis (crypsis) | Mimics inanimate object | Leaf insects, stick insects | Leaves, twigs | Blend so well with plants that predators cannot spot them |
Social parasitism mimicry | Chemical + visual mimicry of host species | Alcon blue butterfly larvae | Ant larvae | Caterpillars trick ants into raising them inside their own nests |
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