The monarch butterfly is poisonous to birds; therefore, birds avoid eating them. Viceroy butterflies look very similar to monarch butterflies but are not poisonous. Because they look like monarch butterflies, birds also do not eat viceroy butterflies. This is an example of ____.
A) resource partitioning
B) competitive exclusion
C) mimicry
D) camouflage
E) commensalism

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is an example of mimicry, where the viceroy butterfly mimics the appearance of the poisonous monarch butterfly to avoid predation, even though viceroys themselves are not poisonous.

The Monarch Butterfly Is Poisonous to Birds; Therefore, Birds Avoid