Data from: The golden mimicry complex uses a wide spectrum of defence to deter a community of predators

Mimicry complexes typically consist of multiple species that deter
predators using similar anti-predatory signals. Mimics in these complexes
are assumed to vary in their level of defence from highly defended through
to moderately defended, or not defended at all. Here, we report a new
multi-order mimicry complex that includes at least 140 different putative
mimics from four arthropod orders including ants, wasps, bugs, tree
hoppers and spiders. All members of this mimicry complex are characterised
by a conspicuous golden body and an ant Gestalt, but vary substantially in
their defensive traits. However, they were similarly effective at
deterring predators - even mildly defended mimics were rarely eaten by a
community of invertebrate and vertebrate predators both in the wild and
during staged trials. We propose that despite the predominance of less
defended mimics the three predatory guilds avoid the mimics because of the
additive influence of the various defensive traits.