Apt Aposematism's Artful Aid

One might wonder why animals, that might be easy prey for other beasts, would adopt bright colours, making them highly conspicuous. This is often the result of a process termed aposematism. Such animals advertise 'reasons' for the predator to leave it well alone. An nice example is provided by the garish orange and black larvae of the day-flying Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobeae). Its caterpillars feed on toxic Ragwort, incorporating the plant's poisons into their issues. Conveniently, the larval clutch operates as a 'family group. If a bird tries to eat one, it will leave the caterpillar's kin alone, increasing their chances of survival. There can, of course be other devices employed to deter predators. These include the sting of the Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris), advertised by its striking black and yellow coloration. Sometimes, neither poisons nor stings are employed. The bizzare froghopper, Cecopis vulnerata, appears to be merely claiming a difficulty to catch (and not really being worth the effort)! It's not, however, only insects that employ aposematism. The Blue poison arrow frog (Dendrobates azureus) effectively advertises the neurotoxins produced in its skin. These secretions were used by South American 'indians' to tip their hunting arrows and darts. These projectiles were then used to bring down monkeys and other large prey, Many frogs, toads and some reptiles employ aposematic coloration. There are, of course, mimics, who advertise a supposedly dangerous nature, without spending resources on developing/incorporating poison or developing a sting. In a sense, such mimics are parasites of aposematic species. The mimic benefits by copying the aposematic animal's coloration but, by doing so, reduces the effectiveness of that basic 'message'.