KCET 2019 Biology Solved Paper

When the caterpillars of Monarch butterflies feed on plants of the milkweed family, for example, they do not break down the chemicals that protect these plants from most herbivores. Instead, they store them in fat within their bodies. As a result, the caterpillars and all developmental stages of the Monarch butterfly are protected against predators (birds) by this plant poison. A bird that eats a Monarch butterfly quickly regurgitates it. Although this is no help to the eaten insect, the bird will soon learn not to eat another butterfly with the bright orange and black pattern that characterizes the adult monarch. Such conspicuous coloration, which advertises an insect’s toxicity, is called warning coloration or aposematic coloration.