82 HOW ARE ANIMALS AND PLANTS DEPENDENT? 





Paul Greswold Howes 

 A leaf hopper mimics the central part of the flowers upon which it was found. 

 Find the insect. 



brightly colored or marked as if to warn animals to keep off or to 

 take the consequences. They are said to show warning coloration. 

 Examples of such insects may be seen in many varieties of beetles, 

 especially the spotted ladybirds and potato beetles. Wasps show 

 yellow bands, while many forms of caterpillars are conspicuously 

 marked or colored. 



Larvae of insects, such as caterpillars, which are harmless, are 

 brightly colored and protrude horns, or pretend to sting when 

 threatened with attack. These animals appear to mimic animals 

 similar in appearance, which really are protected by a sting or by 

 poison. Some butterflies which birds eat look like those that are 

 avoided by them and, therefore, must be distasteful. Such imita- 

 tion is particularly well shown by the monarch and the viceroy 

 butterflies. Some harmless flies imitate bees, and thus seem to 

 receive a certain protection. When a harmless insect resembles 

 a harmful one, we call it mimicry. 



Practical Exercise 7. Write a paragraph giving reasons why insects are 

 more numerous than other forms of animals. 



Field Exercise. Find, mount, and exhibit to the class different 

 examples of insects showing protective resemblance, warning color- 

 ation, and mimicry. 



