Overview

• A team led by Dr. Tom Reader and Dr. Christopher Taylor at the University of Nottingham used life-size 3D-printed insect models to manipulate shape, color, pattern and size independently in controlled predation trials.
• Trials in various predator communities reveal color accuracy is the dominant trait for mimic success, with size also shaping avoidance in some cases.
• Predator-specific assays indicate spiders tolerate higher levels of mimic inaccuracy than birds before attacking prey models.
• Ongoing experiments are testing whether exposure to multiple model species boosts protection for less accurate mimics.
• Researchers are employing 3D stimuli to recreate ancestral and prospective insect phenotypes to further chart mimicry’s adaptive landscape.