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#aggressive mimicry

3 public questions tagged with this topic.

MIMICRY & DEFENCE

Which of these is *not* a mimicry type?

Mertensian, Wasmannian, and Batesian are recognized terms for distinct forms of mimicry, whereas “transitive mimicry” is not a standard biological category. Mertensian mimicry proposes that a highly dangerous species converges on the warning pattern of a less dangerous species because predators cannot learn from fatal encounters with the most dangerous form. Wasmannian mimicry involves guests or parasites resembling social insects in whose colonies they live. Batesian mimicry occurs when an undefended or palatable organism gains protection by resembling a defended, avoided model. These labels

Ref: Evolutionary Analysis, Herron & Freeman, 5th Ed., Ch. 10

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MIMICRY & DEFENCE

Which of the following is an example of aggressive mimicry?

A crab spider concealed on a flower exemplifies aggressive mimicry when its color, posture, and sometimes ultraviolet reflectance make it resemble floral tissue or another attractive cue, thereby allowing it to approach or remain undetected by pollinating prey. The deception benefits the predator rather than protecting an edible organism from predation. Visiting bees or flies respond to the flower’s signals and come within striking distance before detecting the spider. Some flower-dwelling spiders are better described as cryptic because they merely match the background; the term aggressive mim

Ref: Evolutionary Analysis, Herron & Freeman, 5th Ed., Ch. 10

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MIMICRY & DEFENCE

Which mimicry is most likely used by a beetle living among ants and mimicking their appearance?

Wasmannian mimicry describes organisms that resemble the social insects within whose nests or colonies they live. Numerous beetles, flies, mites, and other myrmecophiles imitate ant body shape, coloration, movement, or chemical odor, allowing them to avoid aggression and gain access to shelter, food, or brood. Visual resemblance alone may be insufficient because ants rely strongly on cuticular hydrocarbons; some associates biosynthesize, acquire, or otherwise imitate the colony’s recognition chemicals. This colony-associated deception distinguishes Wasmannian mimicry from Batesian mimicry, in

Ref: Evolutionary Analysis, Herron & Freeman, 5th Ed., Ch. 10

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