WHAT IS MIMICRY?

There are three types of mimics sensu lato :

1. Batesian mimics, where the mimic resembles the successful species but does not share the attribute that discourages predation.

2. Mullerian mimics, where the mimic resembles the successful species and shares the anti-predation attribute.

3. Aggressive mimics, where the mimic resembles a harmless species in order to lure prey.

Animals that use mimicry use colors and markings to look like another animal. Notice, here that, there is another adaptation some animals use as protection from predators, i.e. camouflage. An animal that uses camouflage looks like things in its environment. It might look like a leaf, a twig, or a rock. In this sense, aggressive mimics fools its prey, being resembled as a harmless species, so that this is special type of camouflage, and sometimes should not be included in mimics. A mimic is any species that has evolved to appear similar to another successful species, like as poisonous animals, in order to dupe predators into avoiding the mimic. In this sense, Batesian mimics and Mullerian mimics are only two types of mimics.

Thus, there are two types of mimics sensu stricto :

1. Batesian mimics.

2. Mullerian mimics.