Wasmannian Mimicry

Pronunciation
/was-man-ee-an mim-i-kri/
Category
Behavior
Plural
Wasmannian Mimicries

Definition

A specialized form of mimicry where an organism, typically a beetle, lives in the nest of ants and resembles them in appearance and behavior.

Etymology

Named after entomologist Erich Wasmann, who first described this phenomenon.

Example

Wasmannian mimicry is observed in several species of staphylinid beetles that live within ant nests.

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