What strategy compensates for the visual risk of *Pieris rapae*'s conspicuous white coloration?
Answer
Learned avoidance by predators due to unpalatability
Despite appearing highly visible against a blue sky—a potential evolutionary liability—the white coloration persists because it becomes associated with an unpleasant experience for predators, a process termed aposematism established through trial and error. Many white butterflies, including the *Pieris* genus, sequester defensive compounds from their host plants, making them taste foul. A bird that captures and consumes one white butterfly quickly learns to associate the combination of white color, slow movement, and wing shape with an unpalatable meal, leading to the avoidance of similar-looking insects. This learned avoidance effectively benefits the surviving individuals.
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