What is eyespot mimicry?

Some animals, especially insects – and especially butterflies and moths – have an eyespot or several eyespots. Reptiles, cats, birds, and fish can have an eyespot.

A peacock has distinctive feathers that look like many eyespots.

For a butterfly, an eyespot is a spot or marking on its wing that looks like an eye. 

Eyespot mimicry means that the spot is mimicking the appearance of an eye. 

An eyespot is used to distract, or fool, its predator to make the predator think that the butterfly is looking at it, to prevent it from being attacked and eaten. 

An eyespot on a butterfly is also called an ocellus.

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM