In evolutionary biology, Gilbertian mimicry is a rare type of mimicry in plants involving only two species, a host or prey animal which is the mimic, and its parasite or predator, which is both the model for the mimicry, and the dupe that is deceived by it. The mechanism provides a measure of protection for the mimic, as parasites and predators rarely attack their own species.
The first described example of Gilbertian mimicry is the mimicking of Heliconius butterfly eggs by the leaf stipules of Passiflora plants. These are thought to protect the plant as the butterfly avoids laying eggs near eggs already on a host plant, to give her own eggs the best chance of survival.
A later example is the mimicking of a mammalian hormone by an ant toxin which causes long-lasting hypersensitivity, Gilbertian mimicry at a molecular level.