VISUAL MIMICRY

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VISUAL MIMICRY
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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

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Batesian mimicry

Harmless hoverflies resemble non-edible wasps
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Batesian mimicry
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More Batesian mimicry

• The toxic sea slug Phillidiella pustulosa (left)
• is mimicked by a harmless flatworm Pseudoceros
  imitatus

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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

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More Batesian mimicry
The venomous coral snake Micrurus fulvius and its
non-venomous mimic the king snake Lampropeltis
triangulum
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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

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More Batesian mimicry

• The filefish Canthigaster valentini (left) mimics
  the unpalatable puffer Paraluterus prionurus

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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

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More Batesian mimicry

• The mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) has the
  ability to mimic other aquatic creatures in order
  to avoid predation

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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.

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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

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Müllerian mimicry

• The unpalatable soldier beetles (Cantharidae)
  mimic the distateful lycid beetles (Lycidae) and,
  when flying, the wasp

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More Müllerian mimicry

• Unpalatable caterpillors of St. Jacobbutterfly
  mimic stinging wasps and venomous coral snakes

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The use of black and yellow as a warning sign
(RESEMBLING POISENESS SPECIES)
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Peckhamian mimicry

• This anglar fish (Antenarius sp.) displays a lure
  resembling a small fish

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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

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More Peckhamian mimicry

• The orchard spiders (Celaenia sp.) mimic bird
  droppings to look unappatising and attract moths
  by scent

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More Peckhamian mimicry

• The bolas spider Mastophora hutchinsoni emits
  chemical attractants that mimic the sex
  pheromones of its moth prey

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More Peckhamian mimicry

• Some spiders like the Synemosyninae and the genus
  Myrmarachne mimic ants that they hunt

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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 .

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Peckhamian mimicry in carnivorous plants

• The fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera) and the Venus
  Flytrap, (Dionaea muscipula) attract insects that
  they digest

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Aposematic colouration(maybe) Im poiseness

• Sea slugs of the genus The distasteful
  grasshopper
• Chromodoris Acripeza
  reticulata

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More aposematic colours(maybe) Im poiseness

• Warning colours in amphibians and insects

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Signs of warning(maybe) Im dangerous

• Beetles like the Staphylinidae (right) and
  Phosphaenus hemipterus (left) mimic scorpions
  that may scare predators.

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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

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More signs of warning(maybe) Im 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

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Wasmannian mimicry
Reichenbachia spatulifer
Araeoschizus sp.
Some beetles mimic ants in order to be provided
with food, shelter and protection
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Camouflage

• The moth Datana sp. (Notodontidae) mimics the
  rain forest floor

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Camouflage

• The frog Paradoxophyla palmata mimics the mud and
  tree trunks in its environment.

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Camouflage

• The insect Phyllium giganteum mimics a leaf to
  disguise itself

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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

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Camouflage

• The pygmy seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti mimics
  gorgonian corals of the genus Muricella

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Camouflage

• The starry flounder Platichthys stellatus makes
  use of melanophores and chromophores to adapt to
  the sea floor

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Camouflage

• The great bittern Botaurus stellaris is pretty
  well camouflaged in its natural habitat

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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

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Egg-spots

• Among cichlids the males of maternal
  mouthbrooders wear egg-dummies on their anal
  fin that are crucial to mating