Diadem and African Queen butterflies (IMAGE)

University of Exeter

Diadem and African Queen butterflies

Caption

The Diadem (bottom butterfly of each pair) tastes good to birds and therefore mimics the African Queen (top butterfly of each pair) which is distasteful as it feeds on milkweeds. As the African Queen differs in each part of Africa, the Diadem also has colour morphs that can mimic each form of the Queen, thus locally reinforcing the correct local warning colouration.

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University of Exeter

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