Practice question · Multiple choice
A harmless hoverfly mimicking a wasp is Batesian; several toxic butterflies converging on one pattern is Mullerian. Why does that difference change who benefits?
Hints
- Ask what a predator learns after eating a hoverfly. Then after eating any of the toxic butterflies.
- One relationship is parasitic; the other is mutual.
Show the answer
C. Because the Batesian mimic exploits a warning it does not back up
Why
One is a free rider, the other a shared investment. This is why Batesian mimicry is frequency-dependent, too many mimics and the signal stops working for anyone.
Practise Predator-Prey Interactions
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