Masters of disguise

A parasitic nematode worm turns the abdomen of its host, the canopy ant, bright red like a ripe berry – tricking birds into eating the ant and its parasites. The nematode's eggs are excreted in the bird's droppings, which more ants then feed to their brood Photograph: Stephen P. Yanoviak/www.canopyants.com

The harmless hoverfly fools potential predators into thinking it's a wasp Photograph: Ben Hall/Getty Images

Drone flies are so called because they are dead ringers for drone honey bees Photograph: D. Robert Franz/Corbis

The mimic octopus can change its colour and shape to look like several different species, including flatfish – and sea snakes Photograph: Constantinos Petrinos / Nature P/NPL

Antennae-like projections make the ends of a hairstreak bufferfly's wings look like a head, fooling predators into attacking a less vulnerable part of the insect Photograph: Robert Pickett/Corbis

An eyespot on the wing of an owl butterfly achieves the same feat Photograph: D. Robert Franz/Corbis

The chrysalis of some species of butterfly resembles a leaf, making it harder for birds to spot Photograph: Dorling Kindersley

The venomous yellow-lipped sea krait deters predators while it forages by waggling its head-like tail Photograph: David Fleetham/Getty Images

The thick-tailed sea snake also has distinctive colorations on its tail that make it look like a head Photograph: Arne Rasmussen/PA

Alligator snapping turtles have a worm-like appendage on their tongue that fish find irresistible Photograph: David A. Northcott/Corbis

The flowers of the fly orchid not only look like flies, they also produce a scent that mimics a female fly's pheromones. Passionate male flies try to mate with the flowers and pollinate them in the process Photograph: Corbis