Monarch butterflies are protected from birds and other predators by the cardiac glycosides they incorporate into their tissues from eating milkweed when they were in their caterpillar stage of development. The wings of a different species of butterfly, the Viceroy, look nearly identical to the Monarch so predators that have learned not to eat the bad-tasting Monarch avoid Viceroys as well. This example best describes a. aposmatic coloration. b. cryptic coloration. c. Batesian mimicry. d. Müllerian mimicry.

Question

Biology

Ava Maxwell

21 March, 20:34

Monarch butterflies are protected from birds and other predators by the cardiac glycosides they incorporate into their tissues from eating milkweed when they were in their caterpillar stage of development. The wings of a different species of butterfly, the Viceroy, look nearly identical to the Monarch so predators that have learned not to eat the bad-tasting Monarch avoid Viceroys as well. This example best describes a. aposmatic coloration. b. cryptic coloration. c. Batesian mimicry. d. Müllerian mimicry.

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Answers (1)

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Deborah Harmon · Answer 1

c. Batesian mimicry

Explanation:

Batesian mimicry is a type of mimicry evolved by an harmless organism as an adaptation mechanism against predators. To achieve this, the harmless organism mimics the warning system of another harmful organism in which it uses to dispel its predator. The harmless and the harmful organism both share a common predator. The predator would avoid both, thinking they both pose the same danger as they both have a biological resemblance.

In this case, the Monarch butterflies (the model), and the Viceroys (the mimic) both have a biological resemblance and also have a common predator (birds). The Viceroys mimics the Monarch butterflies to avoid being eaten by birds as the birds would mistake it for the Monarch butterflies thereby abandoning the Viceroys.