Animals also have adaptations to help them survive. A harmless hoverfly looks very similar to a wasp, which can sting.

Explain why animals avoid eating the hoverfly.

This is an example of Batesian mimicry. 1. **Warning Colouration:** Wasps have a distinct black and yellow pattern. This is warning colouration (aposematism) that advertises to predators that they are dangerous and have a painful sting. Predators quickly learn to associate this pattern with a bad experience and avoid attacking wasps. 2. **Mimicry:** The hoverfly is harmless and has no sting, but it has evolved to have a very similar black and yellow pattern. Predators that have learned to avoid wasps will also avoid the hoverfly, mistaking it for a wasp. This mimicry provides the hoverfly with protection from predation, increasing its chances of survival.