Tropical birds are not only fast and agile fliers but have long, pointed beaks, well-designed to catch butterflies. It would seem that brightly colored butterflies would be easy meals for the much faster birds. Some butterflies are protected by distinctive markings which warn birds they are poisonous. Other nonpoisonous butterflies carry the same markings to fool birds into thinking they are poisonous. But why aren't other bright and tasty butterflies easy meals for birds?
Biologists have discovered that the muscles in nonpoisonous butterfly wings produce more lift-power per unit of weight than bird muscles. Since butterflies also weigh far less than birds, they can fly in tight darting, erratic patterns that allow them to escape pursuing birds. What's even more amazing is that edible butterflies have 50% more flight muscle than the poisonous butterflies.
When one considers how perfectly every living thing has been designed–even after the Fall–to function to its greatest advantage, one must stand in awe of the Master Designer.
From A Closer Look at the Evidence by Kleiss, December 26.
