Which characteristic is described for Papilionidae (Swallowtail caterpillars) in the notes?

Which characteristic is described for Papilionidae (Swallowtail caterpillars) in the notes?

• A. Short 3rd anal vein
• B. Bright orange with black markings
• C. Front legs are short and clawless, not used for walking
• D. Larvae found on milkweed

Answer: (B)

The thing this item is testing is how swallowtail caterpillars are described in the notes in terms of color pattern. The notes describe Papilionidae larvae as bright orange with black markings, a bold color scheme that serves as a warning to predators. This kind of aposematic coloration signals that the caterpillars may be distasteful or toxic, which is a common defensive strategy in many caterpillar groups that obtain toxins from their host plants. Other features don’t fit Papilionidae as a general descriptor. A short third anal vein is a specific wing-trait detail that isn’t the characteristic highlighted for swallowtail larvae in these notes. Front legs that are short and clawless and not used for walking point to brush-footed butterflies (Nymphalidae), not swallowtails. Larvae found on milkweed are typical of monarchs and related Danainae, not Papilionidae. So the orange-and-black coloration described in the notes best fits the described characteristic.

The thing this item is testing is how swallowtail caterpillars are described in the notes in terms of color pattern. The notes describe Papilionidae larvae as bright orange with black markings, a bold color scheme that serves as a warning to predators. This kind of aposematic coloration signals that the caterpillars may be distasteful or toxic, which is a common defensive strategy in many caterpillar groups that obtain toxins from their host plants.

Other features don’t fit Papilionidae as a general descriptor. A short third anal vein is a specific wing-trait detail that isn’t the characteristic highlighted for swallowtail larvae in these notes. Front legs that are short and clawless and not used for walking point to brush-footed butterflies (Nymphalidae), not swallowtails. Larvae found on milkweed are typical of monarchs and related Danainae, not Papilionidae. So the orange-and-black coloration described in the notes best fits the described characteristic.