Insects and Spiders

Mimic

For a long time it was believed that Viceroys were tasty butterflies that mimicked Monarchs which are toxic butterflies. Recently it has been discovered that Viceroys are in fact poisonous themselves. So, they are no longer categorized as Batesian mimics: an edible animal that is protected by its resemblance to a noxious one that is avoided by predators. It is now considered a Mullerian mimic: a form of mimicry in which two or more noxious animals develop similar appearances as a shared protective device, the theory being that if a predator learns to avoid one of the noxious species, it will avoid the mimic species as well.
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
John Bunker Sands Wetland Center

John Bunker Sands Wetland CenterSeagoville TexasKaufman countyViceroyViceroy butterflyLimenitis archippusinsectbugbutterflypollinatorpollinatepollinatorssunshinesunlitorange butterflymimictoxicnew species for meglowglowingbeautiful