Batesian mimicry
Harmless copies dangerous
Batesian mimicry is a survival strategy in which a harmless species evolves to resemble a dangerous or unpalatable one, gaining protection from predators without developing actual defenses.
The classic example is the viceroy butterfly, which mimics the toxic monarch's wing pattern.
Named for naturalist Henry Walter Bates, who observed the phenomenon in Amazonian butterflies.
The term extends metaphorically to any bluffing strategy that borrows another's threatening reputation: His tough-guy posture was pure Batesian mimicry.
- hoverflyStationary-flight bee mimic
- butterflyWinged insect from caterpillar
- mimesisArtistic imitation of reality
- harmlessCausing no injury
- deceptionIntentional misleading of others
kingsnake · masquerade · non-toxic · illusion · viceroy · coral · analogy · wing patterns · natural selection · prey · coevolution · imposter · imitation · predator · stripes · signal · disguise · morphology
- animal defensespoison, venom, toxin, toxins, horns
- animal signalsbody language, bird songs, tail wagging, mating calls, whale song
- insect defensesstinger, stinging, venom, poison, toxins
- survival strategieshibernation, dormancy, predation, territoriality, herding
- coevolutioncoevolution, arms race, Red Queen hypothesis, cospeciation, predator-prey
- butterfliesmonarch, swallowtail, painted lady, red admiral, viceroy