Question

Worth 20 Points

Select all the correct answers. Owl butterflies feed on mostly fruit, and owls feed on small animals. The images show an owl butterfly and an owl. How does the adaptation shown in the image improve the butterfly’s chances of survival

Answer 1

The owl butterfly's adaptation, the eyespot, improves its chances of survival by mimicking owl eyes and deterring birds from attacking it.

Step-by-step explanation:

The adaptation shown in the image of the owl butterfly improves its chances of survival by mimicking the appearance of an owl, which is a predator of yellow buntings, a bird that feeds on butterflies. The owl butterfly has circular coloring on its wings called an eyespot, which resembles owl eyes and deters birds from attacking it. Comparison of the number of birds attacking butterflies with and without eyespots suggests that the presence of an eyespot makes butterflies more visible to predators, resulting in selection against the trait.