“Just be yourself!”
This is a phrase we’re told time and time again before walking into an important interview or speaking in front of a large audience to feel confident we’ll be accepted for who we are. Well, in the insect world, sometimes pretending to be someone else is their best bet at survival.
An insect’s appearance can tell you a lot about its evolutionary journey through time. Each insect group (i.e. butterflies vs. ants vs. grasshoppers) has very distinctive mouthparts, antennae, eyes, legs, and wings modified to carry out their basic needs. While these traits are fairly concrete within each insect group, individual species can mimic other species inside or outside of their own group by adapting different color patterns, body movements, or behaviors.
Many harmless insects mimic harmful ones to scare away predators. Others may be harmful themselves and mimic another harmful species to reinforce their protection. Both examples showcase different types of mimicry. Let’s talk about it!
Batesian Mimicry
Batesian mimicry is when a harmless organism imitates a toxic, unpalatable, or otherwise dangerous organism. This is commonly seen in flies who mimic stinging bees and wasps. You may have mistaken a hover fly in your garden for a yellowjacket before. Upon closer inspection, the hover fly lacks a stinger or any biting capability, but its striped body very closely resembles that of a wasp’s to deter predators.
Virginia giant hover fly on a leaf (left), Southern yellowjacket on a leaf (right)
Source: iNaturalist
How to tell them apart: Hover flies have bulbous eyes that almost touch each other, short antennae, and only one pair of wings. Wasps have narrow eyes spread apart, long antennae, and two pairs of wings.
Robber flies disguised as bumble bees are another example of Batesian mimicry. The purpose of this bee-looking fly is to snatch up any unsuspecting insect prey items with their long, claw-like legs and eat them for lunch. Additionally, predators will avoid them thinking they can sting like a bumble bee can.
Bee-mimic robber fly on a leaf (left), Common eastern bumble bee on a flower (right)
Source: iNaturalist
How to tell them apart: Robber flies have augmented, triangular abdomens, skinny legs that face toward the front of the body, and long hairs extending from the face. Bumble bees have robust abdomens, stout legs that rest along the entire body length, and a nice buzz cut.
Müllerian Mimicry
Müllerian mimicry occurs when a harmful organism imitates another harmful organism. A classic example of Müllerian mimicry is the monarch butterfly and viceroy butterfly. Monarch and viceroy butterflies are toxic to eat due to the milkweed and willow leaves they eat in their larval stages, respectively. Their shared orange coloration warns birds and reptiles with insatiable appetites, “Hey, you probably don’t want a piece of me.” The viceroy butterfly mimics the eccentric orange of the monarch in hopes the birds and reptiles will avoid it as they remember the bitter taste and stomachache they had after their monarch meal.
Viceroy butterfly on a leaf (left), Monarch butterfly on a branch (right)
Source: iNaturalist
How to tell them apart: Viceroys have a black stripe perpendicular to their hindwing veins and have prominent white spots on their forewings. Monarchs lack the horizontal stripe on their hindwings and have fewer white spots on the forewings.
Velvet ants are masters of disguise. In fact, they aren’t even ants at all! They are female wingless wasps. The look-alike harvester ants bite while wasps can bite and sting, demonstrating how impersonating another harmful organism reinforces their own protection against predators. Their fuzzy, red appearance will teach reptiles and birds to avoid all other fuzzy, red, ground-dwelling creatures.
Velvet ant on wood (left), Harvester ant on sand (right)
Sources: Observation International (left), Navajo Nature (right)
How to tell them apart: Velvet ants can have significantly more hair on their bodies, creating a velvety appearance. Harvester ants are shiny with sparse hairs.
Batesian and Müllerian mimicry are just two of many forms of imitation in the natural world, each meticulously crafted for impressive survival skills. Masquerade mimicry hides walking sticks among inanimate twigs, and aggressive mimicry is how fireflies lure in males of different species with their flashing lights.
There is much to be explored in the arts, but be careful not to be deceived.
Oh, and good luck on your interview!
For more information, contact the Environmental Services Department at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or 281-210-3800.