[myoo-leer-ee-uh
n, muh-, mi-] 
| the resemblance in appearance of two or more unpalatable species, which are avoided by predators to a greater degree than any one of the species would be otherwise. |
| Mül·le·ri·an mimicry (myōō-lîr'ē-ən, mə-, mĭ-) n. A form of protective mimicry in which two or more distasteful or harmful species, especially of insects, closely resemble each other and are therefore avoided equally by all their natural predators. [After Johann Friedrich Theodor (Fritz) Müller (1821-1897), German-born Brazilian zoologist.] |
Müllerian mimicry (my -lîr'ē-ən, mə-) Pronunciation Key
A form of protective mimicry in which two or more poisonous or unpalatable species closely resemble each other and are therefore avoided equally by all their natural predators. The similarity in coloration between the monarch and viceroy butterflies, once considered an example of Batesian mimicry, is now generally considered as Müllerian mimicry because the viceroy is thought to be as bad-tasting to birds as the monarch. Müllerian mimicry is named after the German-born Brazilian zoologist Fritz Müller (1821-97). Compare aggressive mimicry, Batesian mimicry. |