# Evolutionary arms race in ant-ant mimicry: Camponotus lateralis lags behind in mimicking color patterns and sizes of regional Crematogaster models

## TL;DR

This study explores how the ant Camponotus lateralis mimics other ant species but lags behind in accurately copying their color and size traits.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence that Camponotus lateralis mimics regional Crematogaster species but evolves more slowly in key traits.

## Key findings

- Camponotus lateralis is more phenotypically similar to regional Crematogaster models than to non-regional ones.
- Camponotus lateralis lags behind in mimicking the color and body size of its models.
- The mimicry system suggests convergent evolution in camponotine ants mimicking different Crematogaster color patterns.

## Abstract

Over a century ago, biologists proposed the Mediterranean ant Camponotus lateralis mimicked the coloration of the common and unpalatable ant Crematogaster scutellaris. A more recent hypothesis suggested that Ca. lateralis also mimicked the color of two additional models, Cr. schmidti and Cr. ionia, in their respective range. This study aims to test the hypothesis using red–green–blue values of 573 model and 957 mimic individuals and whether also size is affected by mimicry. The results support the regional-mimicry hypothesis: Camponotus lateralis is phenotypically more similar to syn- than to allotopic models. However, regional mimics evolutionarily lag behind the stronger radiated color and body-size traits of the models. Camponotus lateralis mimicked the coloration of the West Mediterranean species Cr. scutellaris least accurately, pointing to the possibility that the East Mediterranean species Cr. schmidti and Cr. ionia are the primary models, and Cr. scutellaris entered the system at a later stage. Fascinatingly, the example of Ca. lateralis is one of several analogous cases of convergent color evolution in camponotine ants that mimic Crematogaster models of different coloration. The unusually strong discriminant power of color variables in Crematogaster models—only partially replicated by their mimics—indicates a chase-away dynamic in response to Batesian mimicry.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-25035-y.