What is Mimicry?
The colouring plays an important part in the self-defence of the butterfly. The eye-spots are a familiar pattern on the wings, mimicking the eyes of a larger animal, thus scaring smaller predators away. Butterflies that are coloured bright red or bright yellow are usually poisonous or at least taste bad to the predator. After eating such a butterfly the predator comes ill and in the future they will avoid butterflies coloured like that, thanks to remembering the bad experience. On the other hand, many flashy butterflies have dull coloured undersides that help them to hide from the predators. With wings closed, they are barely noticeable. There is also a phenomenon called MIMICRY. When the caterpillars feed on poisonous plants the poison stays in their bodies even through the pupal stage onto the adult butterfly. These butterflies (For example, The Monarch) always have a striking colour pattern on their wings and it protects this butterfly from the predators. Other butterflies that are
