3D-printed insects

Most of us have thought that a winged yellow and black bug was a wasp. In reality, it is just a hoverfly. This case of mistaken identity, also known as Batesian mimicry, is surprisingly a natural phenomenon.

Batesian mimicry is when an inoffensive species evolves to look like a copy of a harmful species, so predators are tricked into avoiding it. A group of experts at the University of Nottingham has been making 3D-printed figures to study how some species mimic others. By making 3D-printed replicas, researchers could play around with colors, patterns, sizes, and shapes to look at what makes a decent impersonator. An expert working on the study, Dr. Tom Reader, said, “These techniques enable us to visualize and recreate life-size full-color models…” This shows that making 3D-printed bugs helps us recreate the real insects. Then, the scientists examined how predators responded to the 3D-printed bugs and compared the answers.

Scientists found out that size and color were very significant parts of an effective imitator. Experts also found out that the bug could be less precise near spiders than birds. Scientists are trying to understand how a hoverfly evolved into a wasp-looking insect without a Time Machine.

Good work 🙂