Re: yellow and black

JTEM wrote:

someone2 <glenn.spig...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


I might be being a bit slow here, but I don't see where
you are saying why the common pattern would be
more likely to evolve in harmful insects than
non-harmful insects.

If your defense is harm, then you do not depend on
camouflage. In fact, it's exactly the opposite.
Camouflage would do you no good, because predators
couldn't tell you from the harmless insects dependent
on camouflage. I mean, they'd regret trying to eat you,
but you'll already be dead. But only for the short
term...

Bit of complication: if an animal has two predators with different
sensory modalities or sensitivies, it can take advantage of camouflage
for one predator while being aposematic for another. Tiger beetles do
this. Further, aposematism can be made flexible by becoming capable of
being hidden, with camouflage colors usually visible and aposematic
structures exposed only when under threat. California newts, for
example, use this strategy.

Biology is always more fun than can be described in a single case.

[snip]

.

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