Question

Many butterflies in the genus Heliconiusare mimetic, which means that they closely mimic the wing patterning and color of highly poisonous species even though they themselves are not poisonous. This is a benefit because many predators (such as birds) learn to avoid poisonous species by identifying their wing patterns/colors. Some closely related Heliconius species mimic different poisonous species. Although they can successfully hybridize and produce viable/fertile offspring that have high fitness in the laboratory, the hybrids are intermediate in wing patterning/color and are not good mimics. Consequently, they have low fitness in nature. This is an example of:

Answer 1

Extrinsic postzygotic isolation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Extrinsic postzygotic isolation makes a hybrid zygote unable to develop into a viable, fertile adult. This is the case with the hybrid butterflies having intermediate/medium wing patterning/color who are unable to produce viable offspring. The reason behind this change could be ecological or behavioural