The “Chameleon Ant” <i>Colobopsis imitans</i> Adapts Its Mimetic Appearance to Local Model Species Across the Mediterranean Basin (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Journal: Ecology and Evolution
Year: 2025

Mimicry, where an organism (the mimic) convergently evolves traits resembling another (the model), is one of the most compelling phenomena in evolutionary biology. Despite ants frequently serving as models for Batesian mimics in other arthropod taxa, mimicry among ants is still underexplored. Rapid mimetic adaptations may superficially suggest a pathway to speciation; therefore, a thorough exploration of the phenomenon requires multivariate analyses. Consequently, we collected morphometric data