Question

Using examples, discuss and distinguish among aposematism, Batesian mimicry, and Müllerian

mimicry.

Answer 1

Mimicry is defined as the process by which a organism copoes other organism or dead things to protect themselves from there predator.

APOSEMATISM: It is a part of protective mimicry. Here a non venomous organism copy the physical appearance , smell of a venomous organism. This behaviour saves the organism from its predators.

Some time a organism imitate its physical appearance like a non living matter. Predators avoids it by thinking as it is dead.

Example : Some snakes are non venomous. But they chamges their head to look like a rattle snake and produce sounds.

The king snake changes it body colour thats look like a coral snake.

Indian dead leaf butterfly changes its wing colour as such that it looks like a dead leaf.

BATESIAN MIMICRY: It is the another type of protective mimicry. Here a Patable species mimic the unpatable species.

Suppose there is two organisms. One is unpatable and other is patable. The patable species changes it behaviour physical appearance as such that it will look like as unpatable species.

Example: insects imitate like the bee. Predator avoids it due to the fear of being stinged.

Viceroy butterfly is patable but it mimics the monarch butterfly which is not patable.

MÜLLERIAN MIMICRY: This is another type of mimicry. Here the two unpatable species mimic each other.

Suppose a organism mimic another organism. If the predator learns that it is unpatable or dengerous it will not eat the other as well.

Example: The ctenuchid moth imitate the wasp. If the predator learns not to eat the wasp ,it will not eat the moth as well.

Differences:

Aposematism	Batesian mimicry	Müllerian mimicry
1. Here only the species which copy the other gets benefit 2.Here a patable mimics the non patable 3.Here one is patable and the other is non patable	1.Here only the mimic gets benefit 2.Here a patable mimics the non patable 3.Here one is patable and other is non patable	1.Here both the species viz which mimics or which is copied get benefits 2.Here both the organism mimic each other 3.Here both are non patable.