Devise an experiment to test the hypothesis that bright orange coloration in butterflies acts as a "warning" to potential

predators, and therefore increases the survivorship of bright orange butterflies compared to dull-colored butterflies.

Because you don't have access to live butterflies, you decide to use clay models that you can paint. Describe, in detail,

your experimental group and your control group.

Answer and Explanation:

As I don't have access to live butterflies, the control group would be clay models that do not exhibit warning coloration, e. g. beige / white / brown. In contrast, the experimental group would be the clay models that exhibir a strong warning coloration such as color orange / red.

After preparing the clay 'prey', I would locate them in specific places outside where birds are able to detect them. Moreover, I would use a webcam to monitor the recurrence of birds in the area.

1st experiment: Test whether birds approach the prey that exhibits both warning coloration (experimental group) and dull coloration (control group). Then, record the minutes they spent wandering near the prey.

2nd experiment: Test wheter birds feed on the prey that exhibits both warning coloration (experimental group) and dull coloration (control group). Record time.

Carry out statistical analyses.

Present results and discuss.