The phenomenon of mimicry in butterflies has been extensively studied and is a controversial topic. It is undoubtedly one of the most striking and interesting phenomena among tropical butterflies that so many butterflies are very similar in appearance but are in fact completely different species or families. The concept of mimicry is based on the idea that certain species of butterflies are disgusting, palatable or inedible to birds and other predators, and that these species have eye-catching "warning" colors to alert predators Recognize and avoid them; other harmless but palatable butterflies adopt similar patterns for protection because predators mistake them for unpalatable species and fly away. The unpalatable butterflies are considered "models," while the palatable species are called "mimics."
It is easy to imagine that mimics are constantly perfected in the process of natural selection, so that sometimes they are so similar to the model that they can only be distinguished by careful examination of their sequence. The more similar the mimic is to the model, the easier it is for prey to mistake it for the model, and thus it is easier for the mimic to evade predators. In contrast, butterflies with poor mimicry will not be mistaken for the model and will therefore be more susceptible to predation. Under this pressure, individuals with poor mimicry will gradually be eliminated, leaving only those types that are very similar to the model. Mimicry often extends to behavior, so that the simulator adopts the habits and flight behavior of the model species. Any simulator that does not match the model's behavior will be eliminated in the long-term process of natural selection. Only some butterflies that are difficult to swallow are eaten, and the rest of the butterflies are spared. If the butterfly population contains a high proportion of edible mimics, predators will have a greater chance of preying on them, so they will not be able to quickly identify warning colors and lose their due protection value.
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