Mimicry
A Yellow and Black insect approaches a flower. Its wings
make a loud buzzing sound as it hovers above the petals. A toad,
hiding under a nearby leaf, sees the insect, but makes no move
to nab it. Once, it gobbled up a bumblebee and was stung on its
tongue. This painful experience taught the toad a lifelong lesson.
What the toad does not know is that this insect is not really a bumblebee. It is a harmless American hover fly—an insect that would make a fine meal for a toad. To the toad, the insect’s color, sound, and behavior all warn “bumblebee.” If the toad could talk, it would probably mutter, “Better safe than sorry.”
The hover fly is a mimic—an animal that looks like another kind of animal and benefits from this resemblance. The hover fly gains protection from predators by looking like a bee. Mimicry also includes sounding, smelling, acting, or otherwise resembling another animal. Scientists call the animal that is being mimicked the model.
Mimicry is different from the imitating used by animals to hide. An insect that looks like a leaf, for example, is imitating something that does not interest a predator. It is hidden, or camouflaged, by being a leaf look-alike. An insect that looks and acts like a bee, however, is not hiding. It is imitating a living thing that a predator could eat. At the same time, it warns the predator not to attack.
The study of mimicry dates back to the mid-1800s. Scientists found two kinds of mimicry among animals. First, some harmless animals mimic harmful ones. This kind of mimicry became known as Batesian mimicry. Second, some harmful animals mimic other harmful species. This kind of mimicry became known as Müllerian mimicry.
Since then, scientists have learned much more about mimicry. They have found animals that mimic their prey in order to hunt them, venomous animals that mimic less harmful animals, and other animals that mimic animals in order to live inside their nests. Scientists have learned that mimics and models may form large, complex patterns known as mimicry rings. They have even found mimicry in plants. Yet, many of the animal world’s mimics still fi t into the two categories discovered more than 100 years ago.
What the toad does not know is that this insect is not really a bumblebee. It is a harmless American hover fly—an insect that would make a fine meal for a toad. To the toad, the insect’s color, sound, and behavior all warn “bumblebee.” If the toad could talk, it would probably mutter, “Better safe than sorry.”
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| The harmless hover fly benefits from looking just like a sting-ready bumblebee. |
The hover fly is a mimic—an animal that looks like another kind of animal and benefits from this resemblance. The hover fly gains protection from predators by looking like a bee. Mimicry also includes sounding, smelling, acting, or otherwise resembling another animal. Scientists call the animal that is being mimicked the model.
Mimicry is different from the imitating used by animals to hide. An insect that looks like a leaf, for example, is imitating something that does not interest a predator. It is hidden, or camouflaged, by being a leaf look-alike. An insect that looks and acts like a bee, however, is not hiding. It is imitating a living thing that a predator could eat. At the same time, it warns the predator not to attack.
The study of mimicry dates back to the mid-1800s. Scientists found two kinds of mimicry among animals. First, some harmless animals mimic harmful ones. This kind of mimicry became known as Batesian mimicry. Second, some harmful animals mimic other harmful species. This kind of mimicry became known as Müllerian mimicry.
Since then, scientists have learned much more about mimicry. They have found animals that mimic their prey in order to hunt them, venomous animals that mimic less harmful animals, and other animals that mimic animals in order to live inside their nests. Scientists have learned that mimics and models may form large, complex patterns known as mimicry rings. They have even found mimicry in plants. Yet, many of the animal world’s mimics still fi t into the two categories discovered more than 100 years ago.
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