Mimicry in insects

Mimicry• The term mimicry is commonly applied to the resemblance of one insect (called the mimic) to another (called the model) so that a third insect or other observer is deceived into confusing the two.

• A superficial resemblance of one organism to another or to natural objects.

Types of mimicry

Batesian mimicry

A form of protective mimicry in which an unprotected species (the mimic) closely resembles an unpalatable or harmful species (the model), and therefore is similarly avoided by predators.

Examples of Batesian mimicry

Bees Mimicry

ant Mimicry

wasps Mimicry

Examples of Batesian mimicry Bees Mimicry

why ? Because honey bees are able to defend themselves with a sting, animals usually leave them alone.

Sting organ

Bees MimicryRupper fly

Bees Mimicry Bee Fly - Family Bombyliidae

Bees Mimicry Hover Fly - Family Syrphidae

Examples of Batesian mimicry March Fly - Family Tabanidae

Bees Mimicry Hornet moth

Ants Mimicry Ants Mimicry

Why ? Ants are have powerful defense mechanisms such as acid taste, aggressive biting, painful sting, and group defense. Thus ants are generally not subject to predation.

Ants Mimicry Ants Mimicry Spiders

spider mimics both the appearance, movements and color of a stinging, distasteful ant .

Ants Mimicry Macroxiphus sp.

katydid nymph mimics an ant to ward off predators.

Ants Mimicry Ant-mimic Bug (Hyalymenus sp) nymph mimicking ant, a true bug of the Heteroptera .

Ants Mimicry

Ant-mimicking Broad-headed Bug Nymphs.

Ants Mimicry An Ant mimic- Clavigralla nymph

Ants Mimicry

Ant-mimicry in Assassin Bug nymph

Examples of Batesian mimicry

Ant-mimicking Longicorn Beetle

Ants MimicryMantis when is nymph mimics an ant. Nymph has a very dark colour compared to grassy green colour of adults.

Wasps Mimicry Wasps Mimicry

Why ?The female wasps have strings to inject venom to their enemy where the string is their modified ovipositor.

Wasps Mimicry

Black Wasps-mimicking Soldier Fly

Wasps Mimicry Wasp-mimicking Mydas Fly - family Mydidae

Wasps Mimicry This Longicorn Beetle mimics a wasp to gain protection. To mimic a wasp, it has the very short elytra, or wing cover. There are the orange-yellow bands on its abdomen. On its 1st and 2nd abdomen segment there are the yellow edges to make it has the narrow- waisted look. Besides its colours and body shape, the beetle moves like a wasp too.

Jumping Spider Mimicking The jumping-spider-mimicking may help the planthopper nymph to avoid some predators, such

as ants and even the jumping spiders.

Hopper nymph's face with Jumping Spider eyes pattern

Jumping Spider

Aposematic Coloration

warning coloration Prey with warning sign are easily learned

and therefore avoided by predators. Both the warning prey and the learning predator benefit from a correct interpretation of the warning signals.

Aposematic Coloration This is the larva of the monarch butterfly; an example of aposematic coloration. There is no question of camouflage here. Rather this creature is advertising its presence.

Aposematic Coloration The milkweed leaves on which it is feeding contain several substances that are toxic to vertebrates. The larva stores these within its body and thus becomes unpalatable to vertebrate predators.

The chemicals remain in the body even after metamorphosis, so that adults are unpalatable as well.

Aposematic ColorationIn these photographs a blue jay eats a portion of a monarch butterfly (left) that had fed (in its larval stage) on poisonous milkweed. A short time later, the blue jay vomits (right). Following this episode, the blue jay refused to eat any other monarch offered to it.

Aposematic Coloration An aposematic grasshopper from Argentina (Romaleidae)They were certainly easy to notice with the aposematic coloration slow hoppers due to their heavy bodies. In the case of this lubber grasshopper, due to body size is compensated by toxic chemicals that make them distasteful to predators.

Müllerian mimicry

A form of protective mimicry in which two or more poisonous or unpalatable species closely resemble each other and are therefore avoided equally by all their natural predators.

Müllerian mimicryExample The similarity in coloration between the monarch and viceroy butterflies the viceroy is thought to be as bad-tasting to birds as the monarch.

viceroymonarch

Self Mimicry

Self mimicry is a term for animals that have one body part that mimics another to increase survival during an attack or give them extra seconds to escape.

Self Mimicry This mosquito's wing patterns mimic a head on its tail to confuse its predators.Some insects have the markings on their tails. Those markings effectively making the insects appear to be something that is facing the opposite direction. A confused predator, when striking at the mimic, most likely comes up with nothing more than a piece of wing and the insects get a chance to escape.

Self Mimicry Fake head on Wingswith the eye-patterns on planthopper fore wing tips, it gives the impression of its tail is its head. predators have a less part of the body

to eat.

Self Mimicry fake antennae on the rear of the wings.There are butterflies that have what look like antennae on the rear of the wings. If birds peck attack the rear edge of wings, the head is protected and the butterfly has more time to get away.

Self Mimicry Fake head on caterpillars' tailCaterpillars have the fake head patterns on their tail on left hand side. Their real head is on their right hand side. This orient predators to a less vulnerable part of the body. This Fake head mimicry is very common in the caterpillars world.

Bird-dropping Mimicking Moth, butterfly adults and Caterpillars

Dirt on the leafLantana leafminer Beetle

At first we saw there are some dirt on the leaf. Then we started to wonder why there were so many dirt with the same shape on different leaves. When we came closer, we noticed they were insects. Since they have hard wings cover with two wings meet at middle, we then know they are beetles.

Threaten SignPredators' face on Moths' wingsSome insects, especially the moths and butterflies, they have the large eyespot patterns or face patterns on their wings. Those patterns resemble their predators' predators. Those patterns do not necessary make their predators believe that those insects are their own predators. The insects just bare a sign that its predator instinctively afraid of.

Predators' face on Moths' wingsThere are two large eyes. The thick white lines may remind the birds of their predators' teeth.

Caterpillars mimic bird's predator's claw

Caterpillars Snake Mimicking Predator's Face

Aggressive Mimicry

a predator or parasite imitates a signal of another species usually (potential mate) in order to exploit the recipient of the signal.

Eamples of Aggressive Mimicry Firefly,, or Lightning Bug, a beetle that

produces light. The light is produced in special organs called photophores located on the underside of the abdomen.

Fireflies use their flashes to attract mates. The pattern differs from species to species. In one species, the females sometimes mimic the pattern used by females of another species. When the males of the second species respond to these "femmes", they are eaten!

Aggressive Mimicry of Cicadas by an Australian Predatory

Katydid The Clicking Game

Of all the insects, cicadas probably have the loudest mating ritual. Males produce clicking sounds during mating. This clicking sound attracts potential female mates. Male cicadas have been recorded exceeding 120 decibels. The sound is produced by a pair of membranes called tymbals which are located in their abdomen

Cicadas

Aggressive Mimicry of Cicadas by an Australian Predatory

Katydid We have found that predatory Chlorobalius leucoviridis katydids (Orthoptera – Ensifera ) can attract male cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) by imitating the , species-specific Cicadettini songs .

Chlorobalius leucoviridis

Phoretic nest parasites use sexual deception to obtain transport to their host's

nest larval aggregations of the blister beetle Meloe franciscanus, which parasitize nests of the solitary bee Habropoda pallida, cooperate to exploit the sexual communication system of their hosts by producing a chemical cue that mimics the sex pheromone of the female bee. Male bees are lured to larval aggregations, and upon contact (pseudocopulation) the beetle larvae attach to the male bees. The larvae transfer to female bees during mating and after that are transported to the nests of their hosts.

A spider’s greatest weapon, its web, is being used against it Assassin Bug Deception assassin bugs pluck spider silk in webs, mimicking the movements of exhausted, stuck prey. When the hungry spider go to what it thinks is a sure meal, the assassin bug taps the spider, and then grabs, stabs and eats it.""The vibrations generated by bugs showed clear structural similarities to those generated by prey struggling in the web."

Assassin Bug Deception

Assassin Bug Deception