NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The monarch butterfly is known by predators to have a bitter taste, making them unappealing to hunt and eat. Since the viceroy looks the same, predators are unlikely to eat it due to its resemblance to the monarch. This form of mimicry makes the viceroy more likely to survive and reproduce.

Detailed explanation-2: -The mimicry of Viceroys was originally referred to as Batesian mimicry, named for Henry Walter Bates, who in 1862 discovered that some species falsely mimic the aposematism of other species (found commonly in snakes, plants, and in multiple species of butterflies).

Detailed explanation-3: -There’s another butterfly out there that’s disguised as a monarch. Viceroy butterflies look exactly like monarchs to the untrained observer. Viceroys “mimic” monarchs in appearance. This is a strategy to avoid predation.

Detailed explanation-4: -Mimicry occurs when a plant or animal looks like another species to help it survive. One of the best examples of this is the Monarch and Viceroy butterflies, which have similar colors despite one tasting bitter to predators (Monarchs) and the other not tasting bitter (Viceroys).

Detailed explanation-5: -Because viceroys look like monarchs, the viceroys benefit because the birds learn to avoid them as they do the monarchs. This kind of mimicry, where one insect tastes bad (the monarch) and the other tastes good (the viceroy), is called Batesian Mimicry.