Why are most insects that are dangerously vemonous/poisonous colorful?

423 viewsBiologyOther

Why are most insects that are dangerously vemonous/poisonous colorful?

In: Biology

4 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

When the poisonous insect first evolved the toxin it probably wasnt at a lethal level yet. If a predator ate them they would get sick but not die. So the predator would remember that bug and try to avoid it later. This avoidance is easier if the bug has a distinct and colorful appearance. So suddenly it’s a big advantage to be both toxic and colorful, since you are now less likely to get eaten. So they became more and more colorful over time. The fact that they are toxic reinforces this primal instinct to avoid eating colorful bugs in predators. If a predator doesnt have this instinct, it would eat the bug and die.

You are viewing 1 out of 4 answers, click here to view all answers.