Mimicry Collection (#4)

Leaf-mimic katydid. This type of mimicry, common among katydids (family: Tettigoniidae), is a form of camouflage that can help avoid predation

Short-necked oil-beetle mimicking death. Short-necked oil-beetles (Meloe brevicollis) are a European species of blister beetle (family Meloidae)

Leaf insect
Grays leaf insect. View of the upper side of a leaf insect (Phyllium crucifolium), with its wings spread. This specimen was found in the Seychelles, and has a body length of 11cm

Grays leaf insect. View of the upper side of a male Grays leaf insect (Phyllium bioculatum), with its wings spread. This specimen was found in Sri Lanka, and has a wingspan of 8cm

Ghost insect. View of ghost insect (Prisopus piperinus) camouflaged against a piece of bark. This specimen was found in Amazonian Guyana, and has a body length of 7cm

Giant Malaysian leaf insect. View of the upper side of a giant Malaysian leaf insect (Phyllium giganteum). This specimen was found in Thailand, and has a body length of 12cm

Hump-backed stick insect. View of the upper side of a male hump-backed stick insect (Cranidium gibbosum) with its wings spread. This specimen was found in Amazonian Guyana, and has a wingspan of 10cm

Yellow umbrella stick insect. View of the upper side of a female yellow umbrella stick insect (Tagesoidea nigrofasciata) with its wings spread

Malaysian jungle nymph
Stick insect. View of the upper side of a Malaysian jungle nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata) stick insect (phasmid) with its wings spread. This specimen was found Malaysia, and has a wingspan of 8cm

Jumping spider head C018 / 2433
Jumping spider head. Close-up of the head of an ant-mimic jumping spider (Myrmarachne sp.). Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) stalk their prey before leaping on it from a few centimetres away

Wasp beetle on a leaf C016 / 4712
Wasp beetle on a leaf. The wasp beetle (Clytus arietis) is a wasp-mimicking longhorn beetle. Photographed in the UK

Examples of mimicry among butterflies C013 / 6441
Examples of mimicry among butterflies. Artwork from On the lepidoptera of the Amazon Valley. Transactions of the Linnean Society (1862), by Henry Walter Bates

Bush cricket, Borneo C013 / 4990
Bush cricket, or katydid, close up (family Tettigoniidae). Photographed in Borneo, Malaysia

Wasp Mimic Bee
SPH-618 BEE - Wasp mimic bee collecting pollen Nomada sp. Steve Hopkin Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

July Highflyer Moth - Cornwall - UK
DAC-885 July Highflyer Moth Cornwall - UK Hydriomena furcata David Chapman Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Bee Orchid - summer - Pyrennes, Spain
DAC-713 Bee Orchid - summer Pyrennes, Spain Ophrys apifera David Chapman Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Bee Orchid - close up of flowers showing different angles and stages of flowers - June - Cannock Chase - Staffordshire
GUY-88 Bee Orchid - close up of flowers showing different angles and stages of flowers - June Cannock Chase - Staffordshire - England Ophrys apifera Guy Rogers Please note that prints are for

Grayling Butterfly - UK - on Rock
DAC-879 Grayling Butterfly - on rock Hipparchia semele David Chapman Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Pebble Prominent Moth - Cornwall - UK
DAC-1117 Pebble Prominent Moth Cornwall - UK Notodonta ziczac David Chapman Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Bee Orchid - summer - Pyrennes, Spain
DAC-714 Bee Orchid - summer Pyrennes, Spain Ophrys apifera David Chapman Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Portrait of Bates, Henry Walter (1825-1892)
Bates collections and notebooks are held at The Natural History Museum, London. Bates is best known for his publication Naturalis on the River Amazon, 1863 and his work on mimicry

Hyperechia nigripennis, robber fly
A robber fly, an African predatory fly with a carpenter bee (Xylocopa) that it mimics. Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Misumena vatia, flower spider
Female flower spiders can adapt their colour to match the flowers they hide on in order to ambush their prey

Creobroter meleagris, flower praying mantis
Flower praying mantises come from Africa and the Far East. They so closely mimic flowers that insects often land on them to collect nectar

A looper caterpillar looking like a twig
A looper caterpillar mimicking a twig for camouflage. The caterpillar is so-called because of the arching movement of its body as it travels

Pink Barred Sallow Moth - Essex, UK Autumn IN000594
COS-3826 Pink Barred Sallow Moth - Autumn Essex, UK Xanthia togata Bill Coster Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Lesser Purple Emperor Butterfly USH 339 Apatura ilia © Duncan Usher / ardea. com
USH-339 Lesser Purple Emperor BUTTERFLY - showing false eyes on wings Apatura ilia Duncan Usher Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Marmalade Hover Fly - on Gazania flower - Essex, UK IN000814
COS-3853 Marmalade Hover Fly - on Gazania flower Essex, UK Episyrphus balteatus Bill Coster Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Crab spider - lurking on an Late Spider Orchid - Italy
RD-285 Crab spider - lurking on an Late Spider Orchid Italy Thomisus onustus Giacomo Radi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Reef Stonefish - Red Sea
LEE-32 Reef Stonefish Red Sea Synanceia verrucosa Lea Lee contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Cone-head Mantis - nymph in the night - Italy
RD-279 Cone-head Mantis - nymph in the night Italy Empusa pennata Giacomo Radi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Cone-head Mantis - male - Tuscany - Italy
RD-283 Cone-head Mantis - male Tuscany - Italy Empusa pennata Giacomo Radi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Cone-head Mantis - adult male - Tuscany - Italy
RD-287 Cone-head Mantis - adult male Tuscany - Italy Empusa pennata Giacomo Radi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Green Crab Spider - on a Cistus - Italy
RD-286 Green Crab Spider - on a Cistus Italy Heriaeus hirtus Giacomo Radi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Lesser Zebra - male - Danaid mimic of Parantica sp. - Gunung Leuser National Park - Northern Sumatra - Indonesia
MAR-1642 Lesser Zebra - male Gunung Leuser National Park - Northern Sumatra - Indonesia Papilio macareus xanthosoma Danaid mimic of Parantica sp

Cone-head Mantis - male - Italy
RD-310 Cone-head Mantis - male Italy Empusa pennata Giacomo Radi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Cone-head Mantis - in habitat - Tuscany - Italy
RD-309 Cone-head Mantis - in habitat Tuscany - Italy Empusa pennata Giacomo Radi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Cone-head Mantis - nymph - Italy
RD-312 Cone-head Mantis - nymph Italy Empusa pennata Giacomo Radi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Apollo Butterfly USH 333 Parnassius apollo © Duncan Usher / ardea. com
USH-333 Apollo BUTTERFLY - showing false eyes on wings Parnassius apollo Duncan Usher contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Sycamore Moth - Essex, UK IN000878
COS-3854 Sycamore Moth Essex, UK Acronicta aceris Bill Coster contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Leaf Mantis - Costa Rica
AW-3722 Leaf Mantis Costa Rica Adrian Warren contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Merveille du Jour Moth - Essex, UK IN000612
COS-3827 Merveille du Jour Moth Essex, UK Dichonia aprilina Bill Coster contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

New Caledonian Giant Gecko - showing camouflage - Controlled conditions 15268
BB-2722 New Caledonian Giant Gecko - showing camouflage Rhacodactylus leachianus Controlled conditions Brian Bevan contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

CAN-4533
CAN-4553 Sphinx moth (hawk moth) caterpillar - Snake mimic - defensive display Tropical rainforest - Costa Rica Xlyophanes neoptolemus John Cancalosi contact details: prints@ardea.com tel

Flower Mantid - waiting for prey - Grahamstown - East Cape - South Africa
ASW-4042 Flower Mantid on flower Grahamstown - East Cape - South Africa Harpagomantis sp. Alan J. S. Weaving contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Mimic blenny Papua New Guinea HED00006
AUS-1963 A Mimic / Sabre-toothed Blenny mimics a cleaner wrasse but when a fish responds to its dance, and comes to be cleaned, it takes a bite out of it

Heart and Dart Moth - Lincolnshire - England
GET-2250 Heart and Dart Moth Lincolnshire - England Agrotis exclamationis Geoff Trinder contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Peppered Moth - on lichen - UK
DAC-484 Peppered Moth - on lichen UK Biston betularia David Chapman contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

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"Mimicry: Nature's Master of Disguise" In the depths of Rapid Bay, South Australia, a Leafy Seadragon gracefully glides through the water. Its brilliant camouflage renders it invisible to both predators and prey, as they fail to recognize it as a fish. This mesmerizing creature is just one example of nature's remarkable mimicry. Perched delicately on an orchid in Hymenopus coronatus, an Orchid Mantis showcases its incredible ability to blend seamlessly with its surroundings. Its body mimics the vibrant colors and intricate patterns of the flower petals, fooling unsuspecting insects into becoming its next meal. Venturing further into South Australian waters, we encounter another master of disguise - the Sea Horse or Leafy Seadragon from the Syngnathidae family. Endemic to this region, these enchanting creatures perfectly imitate swaying seaweed with their leaf-like appendages, ensuring their survival amidst coral reefs. Traveling across continents to Chios, Greece, we stumble upon a captivating Bee Orchid. With astonishing precision, this flower mimics a female bee in appearance and scent to attract male bees for pollination purposes, and is truly nature's artistry at work. Butterflies take center stage when it comes to showcasing mimicry among species. Their wings adorned with intricate patterns and vibrant hues serve as disguises that confuse potential predators or even lure them away from vulnerable areas. Hidden amongst reeds stands the Bittern Bird RES 155 in Botaurus stellaris; its cryptic plumage blending flawlessly with its marshy habitat. This elusive bird relies on mimicry for survival by remaining unseen by both prey and predators alike. The Larval case of bagworms constructed meticulously using plant fragments demonstrates yet another form found in nature. These clever caterpillars create protective cases that resemble twigs or leaves while they undergo metamorphosis, ensuring their safety until they emerge as beautiful moths.