What is the caterpillar's defense strategy regarding the toxins sequestered from oleander?
Answer
Employing camouflage rather than bright warning colors
The caterpillar sequesters toxic cardiac glycosides, but its strategy suggests camouflage (crypsis) provides a better defense than advertising toxicity with bright colors, likely because predators in its native range are less inclined to test camouflaged prey.
Related Questions
What feature characterizes the flight of moths in the Family Sphingidae?To what element in nature does the specific epithet *nerii* directly refer?What primary physical trait distinguishes members of the Order Lepidoptera?What is the caterpillar's defense strategy regarding the toxins sequestered from oleander?What defining characteristic places *Daphnis nerii* in the Phylum Arthropoda?What is the approximate maximum length reached by the Oleander Hawk Moth caterpillar?Where does the mature larva of *Daphnis nerii* typically seek to pupate?What complex array of colors describes the intricate patterns on the forewings of the adult *Daphnis nerii*?How are insects (Class Insecta) primarily distinguished from other arthropods like arachnids?What is the maximum recorded wingspan for the adult Oleander Hawk Moth?Which characteristic confirms *Daphnis nerii*'s membership in Kingdom Animalia?