Eyespot (mimicry)

Eyespot (mimicry)

An eyespot (sometimes ocellus) is an eye-like marking. They are found on butterflies, reptiles, birds and fish. In members of the Felidae family (such as the Leopard Cat and Leopard), the white circular markings on the backs of the ears are termed ocelli, and they are functionally similar to eyespots in other animals.

Eyespots may be a form of mimicry in which a spot on the body of an animal resembles an eye of a different animal to deceive potential predator or prey species; to draw a predator's attention away from the most vulnerable body parts; or to appear as an inedible or even dangerous animal. In larger animals, eyespots may play a role in intraspecies communication or courtship – the most well-known example is probably the eyespots on a peacock's display feathers. The white spots on the back of Felid ears serve a social function, by communicating the animal's mental state (excited, calm, aggressive, etc.) to conspecifics in the gloom of dense forest or in tall grass.

The eye-like markings in some butterflies and moths and certain other insects, as well as the Sunbittern (a bird) do not seem to serve a mimicry function. In some other cases, the evolutionary function of such spots is also not understood. There is evidence that eyespots in butterflies are antipredator adaptations, either in deimatic displays to startle or scaring off predators, or to deflect attacks away from vital body parts. Butterfly eyespots may also play a role in mate recognition and sexual selection, playing a similar role to the eyespots found on larger organisms mentioned above.

Pattern formation of concentric spots is probably less complex than the conspicuous eyespots might suggest; eyespots may simply be morphogenetic "spandrels", not necessarily adaptations.