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Group 4
A dangerous orchid
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Introduction
Resumo do sistema Mimicry is an adaption in which a species, the mimic, has a morphological and/or behavioural resemblance to another species, the model. There are two main types of mimicry: defensive mimicry, in which the mimic is avoided by predators by resembling a unpalatable species and aggressive mimicry, in which the mimic resembles a harmless species in order to attract prey. O'Hanlon et al. (2014) provide the first description of a unique type of aggressive mimicry: the orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus) mimics the flowers of some species in order to attract insect pollinators as prey. A surprising result found by the authors is that live mantises attract more pollinators than the live flowers themselves.
Ce n'est pas une fleur
Assignment
Orchid mantis mimic orchids to deceive pollinators and each one of these species depend on each other in different ways. Discuss how these species depend on one another and how they affect each other influencing their population dynamics.
Proposed Questions
- How interaction intimacy affects population dynamics?
- Theory predicts that mimics would occur in lower densities than their models. Is it possible for orchid mantis to maintain higher population densities than their orchid model? If so, what mechanisms would allow this inversion?