This document discusses various types of mimicry in the natural world including Batesian mimicry where harmless species resemble toxic ones, Müllerian mimicry where multiple toxic species resemble each other, Peckhamian mimicry where predators resemble prey, and Wasmannian mimicry where mimics resemble hosts to gain protection. It provides many examples of each type of mimicry through images and descriptions of mimicking organisms across taxa from slugs and butterflies to fish and spiders. It also discusses aposematic coloration, camouflage, and egg mimicry strategies used in nature.

1. VISUAL MIMICRY

2. 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

3. Batesian mimicry
•

4. Batesian mimicry

5. More Batesian mimicry
The toxic sea slug Phillidiella pustulosa (left)
is mimicked by a harmless flatworm Pseudoceros imitatus

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. More Batesian mimicry
The filefish Canthigaster valentini (left) mimics the
unpalatable puffer Paraluterus prionurus

10. The Harlequin Snake eel (Myrichthys colubrinus) mimics the Banded sea
snake (Laticauda colubrina) an extremely toxic species with
conspicuous black and white warning colouration
More Batesian mimicry

11. The mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) has
the ability to mimic other aquatic creatures in
order to avoid predation
More Batesian mimicry

12. 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.

13. 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

14. Müllerian mimicry
The unpalatable soldier beetles (Cantharidae) mimic the distateful
lycid beetles (Lycidae) and, when flying, the wasp

15. More Müllerian mimicry
Unpalatable caterpillors of St. Jacobbutterfly mimic
stinging wasps and venomous coral snakes

16. The use of black and yellow as a warning sign
(RESEMBLING POISENESS SPECIES)

17. This anglar fish (Antenarius sp.) displays a lure resembling a small fish
Peckhamian mimicry

18. In its mouth, the Alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temminckii)
possesses a wormlike projection that is moved to attract prey into the
turtle’s mouth
Peckhamian mimicry

19. The orchard spiders (Celaenia sp.) mimic bird droppings to
look unappatising and attract moths by scent
More Peckhamian mimicry

20. The bolas spider Mastophora hutchinsoni emits chemical attractants
that mimic the sex pheromones of its moth prey
More Peckhamian mimicry

21. Some spiders like the Synemosyninae and the genus
Myrmarachne mimic ants that they hunt
More Peckhamian mimicry

22. 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 .
More Peckhamian mimicry

23. The fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera) and the Venus Flytrap,
(Dionaea muscipula) attract insects that they digest
Peckhamian mimicry in
carnivorous plants

24. Aposematic colouration:
(maybe) I’m poiseness
Sea slugs of the genus The distasteful grasshopper
Chromodoris Acripeza reticulata

25. More aposematic colours:
(maybe) I’m poiseness
Warning colours in amphibians and insects

26. Beetles like the Staphylinidae (right) and Phosphaenus hemipterus (left)
mimic scorpions that may scare predators.
Signs of warning:
(maybe) I’m dangerous

27. Some planthoppers (Homoptera) mimic jumping spiders probably to avoid
some predators, such as ants and even the jumping spiders
Signs of warning:
(maybe) I’m dangerous

28. More signs of warning:
(maybe) I’m dangerous
The false eye-spots in some species may frighten off or throw
into disorder their predators
Madoryx oiclus
Polyphemus Moths Pleurodema thaul
Papilio troilus
Chaetodon captistratus

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

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

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

32. The insect Phyllium giganteum mimics a leaf to disguise
itself
Camouflage

33. The praying mantis Hymenopus coronatus uses its elegantly-lobed hind
legs and pink and white coloration to camouflage itself amongst the
native orchid flowers
Camouflage

34. The pygmy seahorse Hippocampus bargibanti mimics
gorgonian corals of the genus Muricella
Camouflage

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

36. The great bittern Botaurus stellaris is pretty well camouflaged in its natural habitat
Camouflage

37. 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”
Camouflage

38. Egg-spots
Among cichlids the males of maternal mouthbrooders wear
“egg-dummies” on their anal fin that are crucial to mating