The insect world is home to many species which pretend to be something they are not. There are a wide range of talented mimics among butterflies and moths in particular, employing all kinds of tricks and techniques to avoid being eaten by predators.
The walking legs of a stick insect
The swimming legs of a backswimmer
For example, some species utilise their colouration or the shape of their body parts to resemble part of their surroundings and are excellent at hiding in plain sight. Some moths and butterflies have evolved wings resembling leaves or tree bark. In addition, there are also caterpillars which look like twigs or even bird droppings.
On the other hand, there are butterflies and moths which mimic other dangerous or poisonous species. For example, numerous butterflies have “eyes” on their wings, giving the illusion of being a larger animal. Many longwings are indeed poisonous, but there are also some harmless species which mimic the appearance of their poisonous cousins. Birds then prefer to give them a wide berth too. This talent is particularly pronounced in hornet moths, which boast a striking similarity to a dangerous wasp at first glance.
However, mimicry is not always limited to insects’ appearance. For example: one species of ermine moths produces the same ultrasonic sounds as tiger moths. This interference confuses bats, which otherwise rely on ultrasound for orientation. The tiger moths emit the sounds to escape their predators – and the ermine moths employ the same trick to their advantage.
