You are an evolutionary entomologist. You have observed beetles that can raise their abdomens and give off a defensive chemical that generally repels predators. You discover a new species of beetle that raises its abdomen in a threatening way similar to the first species, but no defensive chemical is given off. You are most likely to characterize this defensive strategy as a form of
A) Camouflage
B) chemical warfare
C) Mimicry
D) flight mechanism
E) warning coloration

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The behavior of the new species of beetle is a mimicry of the first species, which raises its abdomen and gives off a defensive chemical. Mimicry is a type of defensive strategy where one species imitates the appearance or behavior of another to avoid predation. In this case, the new species is mimicking the behavior of the first species to avoid predation, even though it does not have the ability to release a chemical defense.

You Are an Evolutionary Entomologist