Mimicry
In India, this butterfly is considered as the classic example of Batesian Mimicry in which edible species resemble unpalatable butterflies in order to escape being eaten by predators.
The populations of the mimicking morphs of the Common Mormon are much smaller than that of their models - the Common or Crimson Rose. This is in order to allow first time predators a much greater chance of preying upon the unpalatable model in the first instance and thus learning of their inedibility.
Larger populations of mimics could result in the edible Common Mormon mimics being sampled the first time by predators. If this should happen, the predator may not realise that butterflies of that colour and pattern are protected by the poisons they ingest; thus dramatically reducing the effectiveness of this scheme of protection.
In Sulawesi, though the Common Rose is abundant, the Common Mormon female morph which is found there, mimics a completely different butterfly, Atrophaneura polyphontes.
Read more about this topic: Papilio Polytes
Famous quotes containing the word mimicry:
“The character of the crowds is made up of mimicry and hostility.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)