Science·Insects & Minibeasts·conceptual
Camouflage, warning colours, and mimicry
Camouflage, warning colours, and mimicry: how insects survive by hiding or sending visual signals. Stick insects look like twigs, leaf insects look like leaves. Wasps have warning stripes; hoverflies mimic wasps but are harmless. The 'can you spot it?' challenge.
Suggested ages 7–9
Evidence of understanding
- Give at least two examples of insect camouflage such as stick insects resembling twigs or leaf insects resembling leaves
- Explain why bright warning colours like a wasp's yellow and black stripes help the insect survive
- Describe mimicry by explaining that a harmless insect like a hoverfly copies a dangerous one like a wasp to trick predators
Assessment prompt
If you showed Camouflage, warning colours, and mimicry pictures of stick insects hiding on branches or hoverflies pretending to be wasps, could they explain why those insects look the way they do?
Standards alignment
No external standards are linked to this topic.