Batesian mimicry is best described as a harmless species mimicking a harmful signal to deter predators. It is more common in which groups?

• A. A harmless species mimics a harmful signal to deter predators; more common in insects and other invertebrates than in mammals.
• B. A harmful species mimics a harmless signal to deter predators; more common in mammals than in insects.
• C. Two species each bear a warning signal but do not resemble one another.
• D. Predators are trained by prey signals to ignore bright colors.

Answer: (A)

Batesian mimicry happens when a harmless species gains protection by resembling a harmful signal that predators avoid. This strategy is most common in insects and other invertebrates because there is a vast diversity of color patterns and many harmless species can quickly evolve to imitate the warning signals of distasteful or dangerous models, like wasps or poisonous butterflies. The idea described as two species both bearing warning signals but not resembling each other is an example of Müllerian mimicry, not Batesian. The notion that predators are trained by prey signals to ignore bright colors refers to learned avoidance in general, not to one species imitating another. So the pattern is indeed more frequent in insects and invertebrates than in mammals.