Mimicry - Tumblr Posts

Moth wings - strategies to avoid predation

Hide and seek (cryptic colouration) and/or hide and seek but I dress up as the thing I'm hiding on (Wasmannian mimicry)

Pictured: a peppered moth and a wave sphinx moth

'Yeah I'm poisonous, look at my scary bright colors' (aposematism) and/or 'Yeah I'm poisonous, I'm similarly coloured to another poisonous moth which you've eaten before so no need to eat me' (Mullerian mimicry)

Pictured: a female leopard magpie moth, a garden tiger moth and several six-spot burnet moths

'Duh I'm poisonous!! I look like [insert other poisonous insect or animal], but please don't test your theory by biting me otherwise you'll find out I'm not actually poisonous' (Batesian mimicry)

Included in the medley: a wasp mimic (male red oak clearwing), a bumblebee mimic (snowberry clearwing) and a spider mimic (a petrophila species)

Image sources:

Sidenote: I hate formatting posts on mobile eeghhhh

https://le.kloofconservancy.org.za/lockdown-an-opportunity-to-appreciate-your-local-biodiversity/

Vida's Sheep Jumping Spider: researchers believe that these tiny spiders developed their "woolly" appearance as a way to mimic lacewing larvae or scale insects

The scientific name for this species is Oviballus vidae, but it has also been referred to as the "sheepy jumping spider" or "Vida's jumping spider." It was discovered in 2015, and first described (in a formal context) back in 2020.

As this article (PDF) describes:

Recently, two new salticids, R. legitima and Oviballus vidae were described from South Africa, and suggested to be mimics of either scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) or lacewing larvae (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), due to their white colouration and the presence of peculiar tufts of white setae on the body.

The possibility of [scale insects] being the model is supported by Oviballus vidae being regularly collected from plants with woolly scales, although the movements of O. vidae quite closely resemble those of chrysopid larvae.

In fact, a fourth species of possible scale mimic, a new Rhene species, was recently discovered in a collection of salticids from southern Mozambique, indicating that this phenomenon may be more widespread than has previously been known or even suspected.

O. vidae was named after Vida van der Walt, the photographer who captured some of the first images of these spiders back in 2015, just after the species was discovered by Dr. Galina Azarkina. Vida van der Walt also took the photographs that appear in this post.

Sources & More Info:

Arthropoda Selecta (scientific journal): Rediscovery and Redescription of Rhene cooperi, another possible mimic of scale insects (PDF)

Spider Club of South Africa: Two New Species Named After SA Photographer (PDF, with the relevant info on page 5)

Field Guide to the Spiders of South Africa: Section on Vida's Sheep Jumping Spider

Abbott's Sphinx Moth: this caterpillar has a false eye on its rump; it mimics the features of a vertebrate's eye, and even includes a white reflection spot

The formal name for this species is Sphecodina abbottii.

From Minnesota Seasons:

The caterpillar is up to 3″ (7.5 cm) long. Middle stage (instar) caterpillars are whitish to bluish-green. In place of the horn found on other sphinx caterpillars, there is a raised orange knob on the eighth abdominal segment (A8). Final instar caterpillars come in two color forms. The brown color form has longitudinal streaks of light and dark brown mimicking the color of a woody vine. The green form has on each abdominal segment a large, pale green, saddle-shaped spot on the upper side and a similar smaller spot on each side. The pattern is said to mimic a bunch of unripe grapes. Both forms have a black, raised, eye-like knob on A8 complete with a small white spot mimicking reflected light.

When the caterpillar is pinched or poked, it often squeaks and bites at the attacker.

The fully-developed moth also has a unique appearance -- it has an ash-grey/blue coloration with streaks of pink and black.

Sources & More Info:

Encyclopedia of Life: Sphecodina abbottii

Insect Identification: Abbott's Sphinx Moth

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Saukeville Field Station

Minnesota Seasons: Abbott's Sphinx Moth

University of Minnesota Garden Extension: Abbott's Sphinx

"Dry leaf or a night butterfly?"

I had the great chance to photograph this nocturnal moth on a branch of our hibiscus🦋🌺

"We call it vff," said the alien. "It's - it's hard to describe to a species without vffsense. Imagine trying to describe light to a species that never evolved eyes. But there are forms of life that are only perceptible with vffsense, and they've visited Earth and fed on life as long as it's existed here."

There was a pause.

Then the human said, "That's the worst thing you've ever said."

"Don't worry about it."

"I think I have to, now."

"No, because - well - you have a species of spider which pretends to be an ant, correct? It's not capable of understanding the fact that it's mimicking an ant, but it instinctually mimics an ant in order to deter predators."

"Sure?"

"Humans produce a vff to mimic varths, predators only perceptible through vffsense. The organisms that would like to feed on you are terrified of varths, and so they leave you alone. You aren't aware you do it, you don't have the capacity to understand you're doing it, but you evolved to instinctually do it to deter predators you can't see."

There was a pause.

Then the human said in a very soft and thoughtful voice, "And are there varths on Earth?"

"Yes," said the alien. "Everywhere. But don't worry about it."

A sharp, antiseptic smell hits you, and you jolt awake—except you can’t. You feel like your whole body is paralyzed, a bystander to your own body.

Your fingers feel heavy, like a weight in your palm instead of the agility you would expect from the jointed fingers extending from it. And maybe you're hallucinating, but—you think you see sparks coming from the tip of your index finger, something suspiciously metallic poking out of what was supposed to be just a fingernail.

Before you can think about it any longer, you wake.

You are a regular office clerk for Orenic, a company that specializes in biotech and medicine. You’re just one of the workers that do trivial jobs—copying papers, doing data, typing forms, and so on. While it might sound tiring, the surprisingly good pay and perks of working under one of the most important corporations in the country keeps the monotonous routine bearable. 

However, one night after a day the same as any other, you wake up on a cold, metal table. You discover that you aren’t human (surprise!); you’re actually one of the prototypes of an android that Orenic has created. You’re considered to be one of the closest ones they’ve got to “perfection”—which in this case, they mean “acting human.” 

Problem is, any form of technology more advanced than the internet was banned by the world a couple centuries ago. Robots? Nope. Artificial Intelligence? Nope. Those military prototypes that look and behave like dogs? Absolutely not. Even Siri and Alexa? Not a chance. 

So why would a successful, megamillionaire company like Orenic risk making you?

Your existence now illegal, and your life a lie, can you untangle yourself from Orenic’s schemes and (hopefully) regain your sense of identity?

Set in a vintage dystopian society, Mimicry explores the repeating cycle of corporate corruption and what it means to be human.

Genre: Sci-fi, Dystopian, Drama, Romance

Rating: 16+ // for language, some violence and gore, self-sacrificial scenes [determinant], crisis about identity

Play as an android, who didn't know about their true self.

Except for the fact that you're made of wires and metal, play with a customizable MC including gender, appearance, and major parts of personality.

This is a character-driven game! You cannot "fail" (as in return to checkpoint); every choice will advance the plot.

4 main relationships (platonic or romantic), 1 determinant route

Choose to be more human or more machine.

The Co-Worker [F/M/NB]: They’re your closest co-worker, and live in the same company-provided apartment as you.

The Scientist [F]: They’re one of the few that knew about your existence.

The Other [F/M/NB] (B2): They’re like you, in the sense that they are literally made by the same company.

The Spy [M]: They’re also working for Orenic, but they’ve got a secret.

The Haywire [NB] (A1): They’re also an android, but they’ve gone rogue.

(All characters above have platonic or romantic routes)

[Detailed character sheet here]

Hi! I'm Mint (she/her), the author of Mimicry, an IF game in progress. As of now (July 2022) it's still in its very, very early stages, so it will be a long time before the demo drops. (Very Early as in I Still Don't Know How To Twine/Code.)

If you discover this blog and decide to follow me through the long journey, thank you! If you want to put me on your back burner and somehow not forget when the demo drops, a preliminary thank you to you too! I'm just excited to see how this goes.

spiny, long-legged, and armored, Polyrhachis ants are a common sight in Singapore as they forage for their colonies in a perpetual breakneck sprint. but this creature is no Polyrhachis: this is a jumping spider that looks and moves exactly like one!

he is Toxeus maxillosus*, one of the finest ant mimics I’ve seen.

an elongated first set of legs mime questing antennae while the rest are perfectly sized to match Polyrhachis’ gait. his enlarged chelicerae appear like an ant’s head, and the illusion is completed by pedipalps slung beneath like ant mandibles.

unfortunately I didn’t get a good still photo of the red-rumped Polyrhachis armata that he mimicked. however, a neighboring shrub housed another T. maxillosus who sported a shiny coat of gold hair in the style of Polyrhachis illaudata, a worker of which was also sitting there. side-by side, the mimicry is simply exquisite.

*at least, I think the black and red form is also considered T. maxillosus. the gold-haired form seems to be the most commonly observed type.

Oh shit, a moray... wait, no, it's a turtle!... oh, it's not a turtle

Black tail spider, Arachnura melanura, Araneidae

Found in South and Southeast Asia

Photo 1 by LiCheng Shih, 2- 5 by mdjusri, 6-7 by albertkang, 8-9 by kinmatsu, and 10 (for scale) by nvdd033

I'm so sorry if you've talked about this already but I just saw it and you were the first person I thought of

Anyways have you seen this absolutely INSANE rove beetle

I HAVE HOPED TO SEE ACTUAL CLEAR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THIS FOR YEARS. I have seen nothing but scientific drawings and some microscopy slides!!! Oh my god it looks even sillier and more far-fetched than I thought it would. I want everyone to know before they carelessly continue scrolling that this is how the beetle pretends to be a termite and freeloads in termite society and the entire fake termite is just the beetle's abdomen. If you look closely you can see that's what it is, that it just has a massive weird butt so big it can hide entirely under its own butt and that it (the butt) is shaped like a different, inflatable decoy bug with fake antennas and fake legs.

Just four fake legs because it did not study entomology but luckily neither have the termites.

Jumping spider mimic barklouse, Psocoptera. Photographed in Singapore.

Comments from the photographer: The spots on the wings resemble the eyes of salticids (jumping spiders), and even with highlights. To top it off, it moves on tree trunks like a salticid.

Photos by Nicky Bay // Website // Facebook

Photos shared with permission - do not remove credit or re-post!

This Remarkable Bird Pretends to Be a Bug

A study recently published in the journal American Naturalist details how the cinereous mourner (Laniocera hypopyrra) is covered with bright orange and speckled down-feathers when it is first born. Not only does this soft plumage make the newborn birds looks like one of two large and hairy toxic caterpillars (Megalopyge or Podalia), but the birds will even wriggle like massive bugs for the first 18 days of their life.

The drab grey bird you sea study recently published in the journal American Naturalist, which details how the cinereous mourner (Laniocera hypopyrra) is covered with bright orange and speckled down-feathers when it is first born.e above is capable to tricking predators into thinking that it is a massive a vibrantly colored toxic caterpillar with little effort. (Photo : Wiki CC0 - Hector Bottai)

 A cinereous mourner nestling compared to a toxic caterpillar. (Photo : above, Santiago David Rivera; below, Wendy Valencia)

Red-spotted Purple Butterfly

Limenitis arthemis astyanax

As an evolutionary defense mechanism against predators, this nonpoisonous species mimics the poisonous pipevine swallowtail butterfly in appearance, with which it usually shares the same geographical area. It is a great example of batesian mimicry.

Aug. 14th, 2023

St. Louis County, Missouri, USA

Olivia R. Myers

@oliviarosaline