Ellura Sanctuary, Swan Reach, SA, 5354
                 
about MIMICKERY
Types of Mimickery
Longhorn Beetle Mimicking a Braconid
A Braconid The Beetle Mimics
There are a number of different causes/reasons. While not an exhaustive list these are a few things that come to mind:
  • 1. Only humans see the similarity - so not a true mimic as such. Don't forget inverts can see in different wavelengths of light and use their non-visual senses far more than humans (smell, etc).
  • 2. Convergent evolution; ie the same set of environmental conditions that cause one species to have certain shapes & colours worked for a totally different species in a different family. Benefits like camouflage, etc.
  • 3. True Mimickery, where they look like something else "on purpose" because it benefits them; eg they look like a predator so other predators don't attack them. Of course nothing is done "on purpose", but selection gave those variations a better survival rate so they bred more and took on the variation permenantly. Or, eg, they are predators; so looking like their prey can get them closer to their prey and catch them more easily.
 
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