Can animals deceive other animals without intending to lie?

Yes, animals can effectively deceive others without the conscious intent to "lie" in the human sense. In biology, deception is often an evolutionary outcome rather than a deliberate psychological choice.12

Many instances of animal deception are driven by instinct and natural selection rather than cognitive planning. For example:32

• Mimicry: Through mimicry, organisms evolve physical traits, sounds, or behaviors that deceive other species to gain an advantage, such as protection from predators or luring prey. A predatory firefly that mimics the mating signals of another species is not "lying" with intent; it is executing an evolved survival strategy.423
• Blind Deceit: Some plants, such as certain orchids, mimic the appearance and pheromones of insects to trick them into acting as pollinators. Similarly, honeybees may remove a live bee from a hive if it is coated in the chemical scent of a corpse, acting on a "blindly programmed" reaction rather than a conscious decision.3

These behaviors are functional adaptations that persist because they increase the organism's fitness, even though the animal lacks the awareness of "deceiving" its target.13