CH8 – Deception, Mimicry, and Exploitation

Question 1

Sensory exploitation

Answer 1

The evolutionary modification of traits to elicit a stronger response in the receiver’s sensory system, potentially due to a pre-existing bias in the receiver.
*Perceptual exploitation involves exploiting sensory, neuronal or cognitive processes

Question 2

Sensory bias

Answer 2

*an inherent bias (or preference) towards certain stimuli in the sensory/cognitive system of the receiver that evolves before any trait that exploits this
*Most frequently discussed type of sensory bias, which exists at early stages in sensory processing

Question 3

Sensory trap

Answer 3

traits similar to another stimulus that produce an out of context response in the receiver

Question 4

Sensory trap

Answer 4

traits similar to another stimulus that produce an out of context response in the receiver

Question 5

Mimicry

Answer 5

evolution requires a key role of learning and generalization. Involves evolution of one organism (mimic) to match another (model) to the mimic’s benefit

Question 6

Mimicry

Answer 6

evolution requires a key role of learning and generalization. Involves evolution of one organism (mimic) to match another (model) to the mimic’s benefit

Question 7

Batesian and Muellerian Mimicry (ex.owl)

Answer 7

*When a harmless organism (mimic) resembles a toxic, dangerous or otherwise unprofitable species (model)
*Burrow owls live in ground and hiss to mimic rattlesnake tail rattle

Question 8

Foraging and Prey Capture

Answer 8

are used by predators to capture prey
*Orchids deceptively attract pollinators using visual and olfactory mimicry of food and mates
*This is manipulative because bees go unrewarded
*Mimics alarm pheromones in honeybees to attract hornets which pollinate

Question 9

Foraging and Prey Capture

Answer 9

are used by predators to capture prey
*Orchids deceptively attract pollinators using visual and olfactory mimicry of food and mates
*This is manipulative because bees go unrewarded
*Mimics alarm pheromones in honeybees to attract hornets which pollinate

Question 10

Foraging and Prey Capture

Answer 10

are used by predators to capture prey
*Orchids deceptively attract pollinators using visual and olfactory mimicry of food and mates
*This is manipulative because bees go unrewarded
*Mimics alarm pheromones in honeybees to attract hornets which pollinate

Question 11

Aggressive Mimicry

Answer 11

*Bolas spiders dangle adhesive ball to capture prey
*Bolas often have olfactory compounds that mimic pheromones
*Predatory spiders mimic vibratory courtship displays
*Web invading spiders mimic vibrations of caught prey (also assassin bug)

Question 12

Brood (young family of animals) parasitism

Answer 12

birds such as cuckoos lay eggs in nests of other species so that the host parents raise the chicks
avoids the costs of parental care which are high for birds
they often kick out nestmates
however, hosts often decrease care when only 1 chick is in the nest, in essence decreasing care and effort when brood number is low (food provisioning)
cuckoos chicks get more food by mimicking the cries of the other birds so parents feed them more
cuckoos only have one mouth, it has to make up for this by calling more
brood parasites happen in insects as well (Butterflies, wasps, hawkmoths) - butterfly and moth larvae infiltrate ant colonies via chemical mimicry. Then they often induce preferential feeding by mimicking sounds produced by the host queen