Nature’s Secret Knock: How Some Caterpillars Use Mimicry to Sneak into Ant Colonies!
Wow in the World
Tinkercast
4.6 • 31.5K Ratings
🗓️ 1 June 2026
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The insect world is full of sneaky disguises, secret signals, and copycat creatures… In this wild episode of Wow in the World, Mindy and Guy Raz uncover one of the strangest examples of mimicry in insects ever discovered, and the even stranger example of insect mimicry from Dennis’s childhood! From caterpillars pretending to be baby ants to baby dolls pretending to be Dennises… mimicry has never been so bizarre!
Dennis and Baby Dennis are in the middle of a full-blown mustached meltdown after Baby Dennis mysteriously locks Dennis out of his own home. Or, as Gramma G-Force keeps reminding everyone… his mother’s home. As Dennis pounds on the door demanding to be let back inside, Baby Dennis insists that only the “real Dennis” knows the secret code. Uh oh.
What starts as a neighborhood argument quickly turns into a science mystery involving possible identity theft, ant colonies, sneaky caterpillars, and one very dramatic puppet! In this episode, kids and families can dive deep into the fascinating world of gossamer-winged butterfly caterpillars—tiny tricksters that use insect mimicry to survive by fooling entire ant colonies into believing they’re part of the family. These caterpillars don’t look like ants at all, but somehow they convince ants to carry them into their nests, feed them, protect them, and sometimes even prioritize them over their own babies! How? By harnessing the art of insect mimicry.
📺 You can watch the WOW of this episode right now on our YouTube channel, WowTube! Find your favorite Tinkercast podcast episodes, experiments with Mindy, original music with Dennis and so much more at youtube.com/@tinkercast.
✨ Don’t miss the chance to explore even further with Wow in the World:
Grownups can visit https://bit.ly/4pU76WO to join the World Organization of Wowzers (WOW) and unlock exclusive activities, birthday cards, quarterly mailings, first dibs at events, and a welcome kit with an autographed photo of Mindy & Guy Raz! Plus, Grownups help support our podcast and our mission to create content and experiences that connect laughter to learning, curiosity to innovation and kids to the WOWs in their world!
This episode of Wow in the World is perfect for kids and families who love insects, biology, mimicry in nature, and big WOWs of science!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, wowser fans, Mindy here. And before we start the show, is your family looking for some new podcast to check out on your next family road trip? |
| 0:08.3 | Well, I have got some that I think might just wow your entire family. |
| 0:13.3 | So let's say you've got some animal lovers. You've got to meet Flip and Mosey. |
| 0:18.4 | Flip and Mosey are travel vlogging aliens who are discovering Earth and |
| 0:23.1 | its amazing creatures for the first time. And along the way, they learn what it takes to be |
| 0:29.1 | an earthling. Or maybe you're someone who loves to solve mysteries. With Who Win Wow Mystery Edition, |
| 0:35.7 | you can join Carly Q on her time-traveling adventures |
| 0:39.4 | and discover the truth behind history's biggest mysteries. |
| 0:44.1 | Like The Locknest Monster, what happened to Amelia Earhart? |
| 0:48.1 | And if you've got someone who prefers bouncing down the road to a beat, |
| 0:52.3 | we are turning the tables on your favorite fables with |
| 0:55.2 | Once Upon a Beat. In this hip-hop twist on classic stories, Grammy winner DJ Fuge adds |
| 1:01.8 | some rhythm and rhyme to tales as old as time. Once Upon a Beat will have your whole family |
| 1:07.2 | tapping their feet. You can find Flip and Mosy, |
| 1:12.4 | Who and Wow Mystery Edition, |
| 1:13.9 | and Once Upon a Beat, |
| 1:16.0 | wherever you find your podcasts. |
| 1:18.6 | Just search them in your favorite podcast app and hit the follow button |
| 1:20.2 | so you don't miss out. |
| 1:21.6 | Happy travels! |
| 1:22.7 | And now, a quick ad break, |
| 1:24.2 | and then we'll get on with the show. |
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