21 Ara 2024 Cumartesi
Success of Batesian mimicry in the ant-mimicking arthropods
Abstract : During the survey period from August 2023 to July 2024 in and around the Belgharia – Panihati – Khardha area of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, five myrmecomorphic siblings of Myrmaplata, Myrmarachne (Salticid), and Myrmecotypus (Corinid) spiders were observed alongside the collection of ants, indicating they are most likely Batesian mimics. Certain opportunistic species of the genera Diacamma, Pseudoneoponera, Camponotus, Tetraponera, and Tetramorium exhibit a tendency to follow foraging trails in search of food. On the other hand, four ant-mimicking species from different categories, such as the pelecinid wasp (Pelecinus sp.), Asian ant mantis (Odontomantis planiceps Giglio-Tos), stilt-legged flies (Grammicomyia sp.), and ant-mimicking mirids (Perenotus sp.), primarily rely on sharing food resources found along the trail. It is widely recognized that mimicry provides a wide array of intriguing examples that can be used to explore the processes of speciation, coexistence, and coevolution.