The Common Jezebel: Looks pretty, tastes awful
By Dr. Neil Dan Fernandes
The bright coloration and leisurely flight of the Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis) advertise its unpalatability and give a would-be predator ample time to recognize and avoid attacking it. The adult butterfly is well protected by poisons accumulated by the caterpillar from its toxic larval food plant, plant parasites of the genus Loranthus.
The Common Jezebel often flies high up in the tree canopy and usually only flies down to feed on nectar from flowers. Due to this habit, it has evolved a dull white upper-side and a brilliant under-side so that predators below it recognize it immediately while in flight and while feeding.
Because the Common Jezebel is rarely attacked by predators, an edible butterfly, the Painted Sawtooth (Prioneris sita) has evolved to mimic it. This form of mimicry where an edible species mimics an inedible "model" species is called as Batesian mimicry. By mimicking toxic butterflies, the mimics also avoid been eaten by predators, which tend to associate the color patterns of the toxic model butterfly species with unpalatability.
