A note on mimicry with multiple dupes

Abstract This note explores the possibility of a mimetic relationship that requires multiple dupes (usually predators) with different preferences. Two prey species that have different defence mechanisms effective against complementary sets of predators could both benefit from mimicking each other, given that the resulting uncertainty could deter both types of predators from attacking either of them. A mimetic interaction with multiple dupes could thus give rise to a mutualistic, yet deceptive kind of mimicry. This kind of mimicry does not seem to fit easily into the established categories and might thus be interesting for the theory of mimicry classification. It could also provide a new potential mechanism for some interesting phenomena such as deceptive mimetic convergence and imperfect resemblance.