Harmless hoverflies take on the appearance of dangerous or toxic insects in a clever and highly effective subterfuge to keep predators away, discovers Ian Morton
MiMiCry in Nature has been well documented, with categories bearing the names of the men who classified them. Browerian involves the same species: some caterpillars of the monarch butterfly eat a toxic variety of milkweed and themselves become toxic, so deterring predators from taking others from non-toxic plants. Mullerian involves two species imitating their warning characteristics to mutual advantage, as practiced by some ladybirds.
The big one is Batesian, defensive mimicry, whereby vulnerable species take on the appearance of others that predators know to be dangerous.
Henry Walter Bates (1825–92), one of those redoubtable Victorians who explored the secrets of regions unknown before the 19th century, spent 15 years documenting insects in the Amazon, determining, among other things, that some butterflies adopted the appearance of unrelated species for their own protection. He delivered his theory to the Linnean Society in London in 1861 and published a paper that established his name and legacy. He deserves to be better remembered.
Our greatest exponent of Batesian mimicry is the hoverfly. Not popular among the buzzing hordes, the hoverfly is, nevertheless, numerous species, with 276 classified in Britain. They’re arguably the most colorful and varied tribe to take to the air—even more so than butterflies (56 members), ladybirds (46), dragonflies (30) and damselflies (16), all of which flaunt their identities. in the matter of numbers, moths have it with about 2,400 species, but most are crepuscular and dowdy and some employ auditory Batesian mimicry by uttering ultrasonic squeaks to persuade bats that they are of an unpalatable kind.
With not a sting or a bite between them, hoverflies pretend to be honeybees, bumblebees, blowflies or wasps as they work wildflowers and borders or invade greenhouses (in America, they are known as flower flies).
Denne historien er fra May 08, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra May 08, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
