Protective mimicry Concealing mimicry Warning mimicry Aggressive mimicry (a) Concealing mimicry Alluring mimicry Conscious mimicry

2. Leaf Tailed Gecko

3. Leaf Bug

4. Stick insect

5. • The resemblance of one organism to another or to an
object in its surroundings for concealment or protection
from predators.
Model
Mimic

6. • Mimicry: the ability an organism develops to
imitate one or more traits from another
organism (with which it’s unrelated) so that it
can obtain some benefit.
• Camouflage (Greek word kryptos = “hidden”):
the ability an organism has to be unnoticed by
its predators (or prays) by copying some
environmental traits or by developing a
disruptive coloration that allows it to hide.

7. • Terms to Know
Palatable: suitable for food
Unpalatable: not suitable for food
Camouflage: to conceal or blends in with the
surrounding environment
Warning Coloration: recognizable coloration or
markings of an animal that serve to warn off
potential predators

8. Types of Mimicry
• Based on role of mimicry
• Protective mimicry
a) Concealing mimicry
b) Warning mimicry
Aggressive mimicry
(a) Concealing mimicry
(b) Alluring mimicry
• Conscious mimicry

9. • Based on views of scientist
• Batesian mimicry
• Mullerian mimicry

10. Protective mimicry
• It is of highly specialized character and the
organisms mimic themselves in the form, as
well as in colour to protect the animals from
enemies or predators.
• It is also responsible for camouflage of an
animal by its close resemblance to its general
background or to some dead or dull objects
which is of no interest to its enemies

11. Dead leaf butterfly Kallima

12. • (a) Concealing mimicry
• It is a very common amongst animals. In some
cases the animals mimic the shape and colour
of other organisms or object. In other cases
the animals conceal themselves either by
changing their colouration or search a
background which matches with their colours.
A number of examples can be quoted here.

13. Swallow tailed butterfly pupa

14. Leaf insect Phyllium

15. Stick insect

16. Warning mimicry
• In this are included such forms which mimic
the apparently harmful creatures, though in
itself it is entirely harmless.
• This type of mimicry is helpful in self-defense,
because by imitating these are able to delude
and frighten the enemy and escape
themselves.

17. • Viceroy butterfly palatable mimics monarch
butter fly

18. • Hornet moth mimics dangerous hornet wasp

19. • 2. Aggressive Mimicry
• It is shown by certain carnivorous forms. In
this case the imitation is not for protection but
to attack and prey upon other animals.
• The aggressive mimicry is divisible into:
• Concealing Mimicry
• Alluring Mimicry

20. • (a) Concealing mimicry
• Here the animals develop cryptic colors so as
to blend with the surroundings.
• Praying mantises

21. • (b) Alluring mimicry
• In this type mimics advertise themselves and
allure or attract their prey. Some species of
spider which resembles an orchid blossom
both in colour and form; the resemblance is
an alluring one and is advertising rather than
sympathetic.

22. Walking flower mantis

23. • 3. Simulation of Death or Conscious Mimicry
• Certain animals exhibit conscious imitation
and on the approach of danger behave as if
they are dead. Many insects such as hard-
bodied beetles drop down like a pebble when
attacked and to be seized.

24. black eyed click beetle

25. 1. Batesian - the mimic (palatable) resembles
the model (unpalatable) and only the mimic
benefits.
• where a harmless mimic poses as harmful.
2. Mullerian - both the mimic and the model
are unpalatable and both benefit.
• where two or more harmful species mutually
advertise themselves as harmful.

26. Batesian mimicry
• Batesian mimicry is a form of mimicry where one
harmless species that is palatable to a predator,
mimics the appearance of a harmful or noxious
species.
• The mimic gains protection because predators
mistake it for the model and leave it alone.
• It only copies the other species' outer physical
traits to some extent; it does not possess any
defenses to protect itself.

29. • In Müllerian mimicry, two equally noxious species evolve to
look similar to each other.
• when two harmful species look alike, there are higher
chances of repelling predators with less death
• When a predator eats a noxious insect, it will begin
avoiding it with experience.
• Another similar-looking harmful insect will automatically be
safer from the predator without having to do much.
• It is easier to educate the predator faster by looking alike,
than wasting time and increasing preying incidents.
Müllerian mimicry