crypsis

noun

crypsis

noun

/ˈkɹɪpsɪs/

Etymology Probably directly from Ancient Greek κρύψις (krúpsis, “hiding, concealment”); compare Latin crypsis. Doublet of krypsis.

1

Biology, Natural sciences The ability of an organism to avoid observation.

  • Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close[…]above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them. Many insects probably use this strategy, which is a close analogy to crypsis in the visible world—camouflage and other methods for blending into one’s visual background.2013 May-June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, pages 206–7:
Related terms
cryptic, mimicry

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.