SINCE 1828
Müllerian
adjective
Mül·le·ri·an
| \ myü-ˈlir-ē-ən
, mi-, ˌmə-\
, mi-, ˌmə-\
variants:
or Mullerian
or müllerian
or mullerian
Definition of Müllerian
: of, relating to, or being mimicry that exists between two or more inedible or dangerous species (as of butterflies or bees) and that is considered in evolutionary theory to be a mechanism which reduces loss to predation by simplifying the warning colors and patterns a predator must recognize
Mullerian mimicry differs from Batesian mimicry in that all the species in the complex are unpalatable, they cannot be distinguished by predators, and they must be found in the same place at the same time.— Arthur V. Evans and Charles L. Bellamy a Müllerian mimic
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