Mimicry can be found everywhere you look, or listen, in the natural world. Many species copy the signals or cues of others in order to gain advantages. Scientists continue to be fascinated by the study of these evolutionary adaptations that were first described in the 19th century.
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What is honest mimicry?
In honest mimicry, two or more species – all of which are either unpalatable or toxic to predators – evolve similar characteristics (for example, the same colour pattern).
This means that predators only need to have one unpleasant encounter with any of the mimic species to learn the characteristic that signals danger. This makes the predator less likely to attempt to eat any of the mimic species in the future and therefore grants all mimic species a greater level of protection.
There are quite a few examples of this type of mimicry, which is called Müllerian mimicry. Many species of wasps and bees have yellow and black stripes to communicate that they are dangerous.
Predators therefore only need to have one (painful) encounter with a yellow and black species before learning not to attempt to eat anything with similar colouration.
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Other Müllerian mimics include Ranitomeya poison frogs, coral snakes and many species of butterflies, including the postman butterfly and red postman butterfly found in Mexico and Central and South America.
Müllerian mimics are termed ‘honest’ because all mimic species really are unpalatable to predators.
What is aggressive mimicry?
Aggressive or Peckhamian mimicry, named after arachnologist Elizabeth G. Peckham, is the classic ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’, when the mimic pretends to be harmless to dupe its mark.
Particularly well-known examples include the ghost mantis masquerading as a leaf to fool its prey, or the lure of an anglerfish deceiving smaller fishes to approach their doom.
What is dishonest mimicry?
Batesian mimics, which are named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates who studied bluffing behaviour in butterflies, are ‘dishonest’.
These species mimic the characteristics of dangerous species when they are not actually dangerous themselves. By copying the characteristics of a dangerous species, they ‘cheat’ predators into thinking they should also be avoided.
The mimic octopus is the true master of such deadly disguises, passing itself off as a lionfish, a sole or a sea krait to fool would-be attackers.
Another example of a Batesian mimic are hoverfly species that mimic wasps and bees with the same yellow and black colour combinations. While these colours mean danger in the latter, hoverflies are harmless and would be a tasty snack for a predator.
Being a Batesian mimic involves walking a fine line. If there are too many species dishonestly signalling danger (as in, more harmless hoverflies than dangerous wasps and bees), then predators will have a harder time learning that a certain characteristic signals danger and might stop avoiding animals with those characteristics.
Being a cheat therefore only works if there are enough honest animals playing the game. Too many cheats and evolution will rebalance the scales.
Which other species mimic?
Spiders are particularly strong players in nature’s imitation game. Numerous species disguise themselves as ants, even down to their walk, while others pose as twigs, leaves, snails or ladybirds.
The common palp-footed spider goes even further as it rubs its pedipalps against its mouthparts to copy the acoustic defence of mutillid wasps, also known as velvet ants.
The Northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottus meaning “many tongued mimic”, can imitate birds, frogs, car alarms, creaky gates and other sounds from its environment.
Scientists suggest male mockingbirds incorporate these sounds into their performances to attract a mate, with the greatest repertoire of close to 200 songs conveying the best fitness.
Australia is home to some of the world’s best known vocal mimics including the superb lyrebird, famously filmed imitating a chainsaw in The Life of Birds.
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Roughly 40% of songbirds around the world are recognised for their ability to accurately reproduce sounds including the calls and alarms of other birds and even human speech.
However, one family has been historically overlooked, with researchers from Anglia Ruskin University suggesting corvids could be “hidden mimics”. A review of scientific literature and recordings on the popular online repository Xeno-Canto found evidence of mimicry in 39 out of 128 corvid species.
Mimicry was more commonly found in the corvid species with the most research, suggesting it may be common among under-reported species too.
The natural world’s mimics aren’t limited to sights and sounds but employ the full sensory spectrum.
The fringed jumping spider will imitate web-shaking courtship signals to prey on other spider species, while female Photuris fireflies copy light signals to trick males of another species into dinner for one.
The carnivorous Raffles’ pitcher plant imitates flower scents to attract its insect prey while bolas spiders set fake pheromone traps to capture male moths.
It’s important not to let our own perception influence how we consider nature’s copycats. For example, the bee orchid earned its common name with outstretched sepals that look like wings and a brown, striped, furry labellum or lip in the center.
Digging deeper, scientists discovered that the orchid actually mimics the pheromones of female pollinators to attract males into ‘pseudocopulations’ that transfer pollen.
The eyespots on the wings of butterflies, including the peacock, have long been said to mimic predator eyes as a form of defence. Yet in a review published in 2024, scientists from the University of Brasilia found no conclusive link.
When it comes to mimicry, clearly not everything is quite as it seems.
Top image: a Ranitomeya imitator (mimic poison frog). Credit: Paul Starosta/Getty Images
