Ladybugs (Coccinella septempunctata) produce bad-tasting alkaloids as a chemical defence against predators. Researchers wanted to determine the costs of this chemical defence. They fed ladybugs either small or large amounts of food and measured alkaloid production and concentrations of carotenoids in the ladybug bodies. Carotenoids are the chemicals responsible for the red colour of the ladybug, which advertises its unpalatability to predators. What do the results of this experiment, shown in the figure, indicate about costs of chemical defences?

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Ladybugs (Coccinella septempunctata) produce bad-tasting alkaloids as a chemical defence against predators. Researchers wanted to determine the costs of this chemical defence. They fed ladybugs either small or large amounts of food and measured alkaloid production and concentrations of carotenoids in the ladybug bodies. Carotenoids are the chemicals responsible for the red colour of the ladybug, which advertises its unpalatability to predators. What do the results of this experiment, shown in the figure, indicate about costs of chemical defences?

Ladybugs (Coccinella Septempunctata) Produce Bad-Tasting Alkaloids as a Chemical Defence