Question

The butterflies shown below all belong to the same species, but one of them has inherited a rare mutation for blue wings rather than orange wings. The butterflies feed on nectar from orange flowers, and their color acts as camouflage while they feed.


What will most likely happen to the butterfly with blue wings?
A.
It will be less likely to survive because it won't be able to find orange flowers.
B.
It will be more likely to survive because it will be more attractive to potential mates.
C.
It will be less likely to survive because it will be more visible to predators.
D.
It will be more likely to survive because mutations always help an organism.

Answer 1

C. It will be less likely to survive because it will be more visible to predators.

Reason: the orange wing colour camouflages butterflies on orange flowers; a blue butterfly will stand out to predators, so it will be eaten more often and the blue allele will remain rare. Options A, B and D are incorrect for the reasons given (flower-finding isn't affected by wing color, mate advantage isn't stated, and mutations are not always beneficial).