Non-honey bees

Mimicry is a phenomenon whereby different species resemble each other. One type of mimicry involves defenseless species resembling species that are somehow armed, e.g., poisonous or venomous. This is the case with defenseless hoverflies and stinging bees.The mimic gains protection when predators mistake it for the model and refrain from attacking.

Mimicry is not always perfect—sometimes the mimic only superficially resembles the model, but this is enough for it to gain benefits. A predator’s moment of hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. It is also important to remember that our perception of the world differs from that of other species, and what is different to us may be similar to a bird.

Today’s post was published on Instagram in cooperation with Pollinator Academy. From their website: “The Pollinator Academy is a European, open source platform for sharing taxonomic knowledge. It is a learning platform aiming to strengthen taxonomic capacity throughout Europe and was created through close collaboration between specialists and trainers from different institutes.” Want to check if you can tell a bee from a hoverfly? Take a look here!