Like many lycid beetles, members of the tribe Calopterini produce foul-tasting toxins to defend themselves from predation. Many other species mimic their conspicuous coloration, and some of these even prey on Calopterini! This project is intended to gather mimics of Calopteron and other beetles within the Calopterini, especially those in Mexico and Central and South America, where Calopteron mimics abound.

To some extent, lycid beetles mimic one another (Müllerian mimicry), so the primary focus of this project is Calopterini mimics in families other than Lycidae, particularly those that display the characteristic banded pattern shown in the project icon. less ↑