Synonyms
Definition
Female mimics are males of otherwise sexually dimorphic species that resemble females in appearance and behavior.
Introduction
In sexually dimorphic species, some males will look more like females than males when it comes to size, coloration, pheromone signaling, and behavior. Such female mimics are widespread across the animal kingdom; they have been described in beetles, ants, mollusks, crustaceans, and every vertebrate class, among others (Oliveira et al. 2008). Taking up the female appearance can be permanent or temporary. In the majority of cases it is a form of deceit to gain competitive advantages, for example, female mimicry is used as an alternative mating strategy by smaller males who otherwise would not be able to mate. In their disguise, the sneaker male can approach females and avoid agonistic interactions by the larger males and frequently manages to steal copulations.
Alternative Mating Strategies
In species...
Keywords
- Dominant Male
- Territorial Male
- Virgin Queen
- Negative Frequency Dependent Selection
- Reproductive Parasite
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References
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Hanlon, R. T., Naud, M. J., Shaw, P. W., & Havenhand, J. N. (2005). Behavioural ecology: Transient sexual mimicry leads to fertilization. Nature, 433, 212.
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Oliveira, R. F., Taborsky, M., & Brockmann, H. J. (Eds.). (2008). Alternative reproductive tactics: An integrative approach. New York: Cambridge University Press.
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Küpper, C. (2016). Female Mimics. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3412-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3412-1
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