I agree. While mimics and models often co-occur, this is not a requirement. All that is required is that the receiver has experience of both.

We explored how to confirm mimicry in De Jager & Anderson. 2019. When is resemblance mimicry?, stating:

"the model must overlap geographically and temporally with the receiver, but not necessarily with the mimic. Receivers may still facilitate the evolution and persistence of mimicry despite occasional geographic or temporal isolation from models and mimics, if they are highly mobile or long‐lived (reviewed in Pfennig & Mullen, 2010)."

One example is close matching between kingsnake mimics and their venomous coral snake models, even after the models have gone extinct locally. This is likely a result of the receivers still carrying experience and a strong precept of the models, due to the longevity of receivers and the severe costs of interacting with a model (see Akcali & Pfennig. 2014. Rapid evolution of mimicry follow‐

ing local model extinction).