Nature’s Halloween Party

Dive into the mysterious world of Batesian mimicry, where harmless creatures masquerade as dangerous ones to survive. Journey with us from Britain’s south coast, where hoverflies fool predators with wasp-like outfits, to the deceptive bands of the scarlet kingsnake in southeastern US. Marvel at the daytime antics of clearwing moths, mistaken for bees, and question the taste of the Viceroy butterfly, a monarch look-alike. As the lines between disguise and reality blur, we explore the intriguing dance of adaptation and survival in the animal kingdom. It’s nature’s never-ending Halloween party.

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Works Cited

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“It’s a Bee! It’s a Wasp! No, It’s a Hover Fly!” SDSU Extension, extension.sdstate.edu/its-bee-its-wasp-no-its-hover-fly.
Milius, Susan. “Defenseless Moths Do Flying Impressions of Scary Bees and Wasps.” Science News, 8 Aug. 2019, www.sciencenews.org/article/defenseless-moths-do-flying-impressions-scary-bees-and-wasps.
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Volponi, Marta a. Skowron, et al. “Southeast Asian Clearwing Moths Buzz Like Their Model Bees.” Frontiers in Zoology, vol. 18, no. 1, BioMed Central, July 2021, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-021-00419-8.
Wainwright, Martin. “When Is a Wasp Not a Wasp? When It’s a Hoverfly.” The Guardian, 22 Feb. 2017, www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/aug/03/sillyseason.science.
Ward, Hannah. “Coral Snake Vs Kingsnake: 5 Key Differences Explained.” AZ Animals, Jan. 2023, a-z-animals.com/blog/coral-snake-vs-kingsnake-5-key-differences-explained.
Yirka, Bob. “Clearwing Moths Found to Fly Like Bees to Enhance Deception (Update).” Phys Org, 2 May 2018, phys.org/news/2018-05-clearwing-moths-bees-deception.html.
—. “Study Finds Mimicry Increased in Scarlet Kingsnake Snake After Disappearance of Coral Snake.” Phys Org, 12 June 2014, phys.org/news/2014-06-mimicry-scarlet-kingsnake-snake-coral.html.