托福口语 Task 4

Today we're going to talk about a concept in biology called 'mimicry'. Specifically, I want to focus on how certain animals use mimicry not just to hide from predators, but also to gain a survival advantage in other ways. One key point is that mimicry can be used for deception, allowing an animal to trick other species into providing resources or services. Let me give you two examples. First, consider the orchid mantis. This insect resembles a pink and white orchid flower. It sits motionless on plants, and when a pollinator like a bee or butterfly approaches, thinking it's a flower, the mantis quickly captures and eats it. So here, mimicry helps the mantis get food by deceiving its prey. Second, think of the cleaner wrasse, a small fish that removes parasites from larger fish. There is a mimic species, the saber-toothed blenny, that looks almost identical to the cleaner wrasse. When a larger fish approaches the blenny expecting cleaning, the blenny instead bites a chunk of flesh from the fish and swims away. In this case, mimicry allows the blenny to obtain a meal by exploiting the trust of larger fish. Both examples show how mimicry can be a deceptive tool beyond just avoiding predators.