In the early 1990s, Keith Willmott and a friend, both undergraduate students from the United Kingdom, arrived in Ecuador with impressionable minds and big aspirations. Willmott initially imagined ...

A new study demonstrates the first known correlation between latitude and the rate of mimicry evolution in butterflies, consistent with a longstanding theory of biodiversity that can trace its origin ...

A new study by researchers at the University of Chicago and the City College of New York (CCNY) has identified a unique, genetic "mimicry switch" that determines whether or not male and female ...

Wing color patterns of butterflies perform different signalling functions, from avoiding bird predators to attracting potential mates. Such conflicting natural and sexual selection pressures may ...

Scientists have furthered understanding of the relationship between predator and prey in an experiment designed to understand butterfly defence mechanisms. Researchers observed the behaviour of ...

LOS ANGELES — Pity the poor male common Mormon swallowtail butterfly. His potential female consorts bear four different color patterns, only one of which looks familiar. The rest look suspiciously ...

Most, if not all, animals will utilize camouflage as a defensive mechanism to protect them from predators. Mimicry is one type of camouflage that is used by one small species of butterfly that occurs ...

Mimicry has had a significant historical influence as a tractable system for studying adaptation and is known to play a role in speciation. Here, we discuss recent theoretical treatment of adaptive ...

Mimicry helps animals survive. The mimic octopus imitates other marine creatures. The lyrebird mimics sounds. The zone-tailed hawk resembles a vulture. The viceroy butterfly copies the monarch. Alcon ...

In the natural world, mimicry isn't entertainment; it's a deadly serious game spanning a range of senses - sight, smell and hearing. Some of the most striking visual mimics are butterflies. Many ...