Question

insects that feed on milkweed plants are generally brightly colored, a feature known as
a) batesian mimicry
b) camouflage
c) cryptic coloration
d) warning coloration

Answer 1

Ans.

The answer is (d) Warning coloration

Explanation:

Milkweed plant contains sticky white sap and the leaves of this plant contains a toxic chemical called cardiac glycosides, which deter mammals and other insects from feeding on them.Certain insects are evolved to be able to overcome the effect of these toxic chemicals without being poisoned and thus can thrive on these plants.These insects have also developed a way for their self defense by using these toxins and such insects typically have aposematic marking or the warning coloration which is usually bright red or orange in color.They use this warning coloration to indicate their unprofitability to potential predators as they are highly visually conspicuous.

Let us also understand what other answer options are:

a) batesian mimicry - It is a phenomena where a non harmful species have evovled in such a manner that it mimic the appearence or warning signals of another species that is harmful to its predators.Example: The king snake which is harmless,mimics the color pattern of harmful and poisonous coral snake due to which its predator will most likely stay away from them in a fear of getting bitten by them.

b) camouflage - It is a defense mechanism adapted by organisms to disguise their apperance by using the combination of materials,coloration etc and blend themselves with their surrounding.Example: Chameleons are capable of changing their colour and skin pattern according to their surroundings and in this way they hide themselves from potential predators.

c) cryptic coloration - It is also a form of camouflage tactics where animals merge into its background by typicall coloration that makes them difficult to distinguish against their background and thus escaping from potential predators.Example: Pelagic fish larvae looses all its colour and its difficult to identify them in their background.