diadem butterflies | watercolour

The Diadem Butterfly is one of Africa’s most fascinating mimics. While the male has bold black-and-white wings, the female cleverly imitates the African Monarch, copying its orange, white, and black pattern almost perfectly. Because Monarchs feed on toxic milkweed, predators learn to avoid anything that looks like them — and the harmless female Diadem benefits from the mistaken identity. It’s a brilliant survival strategy: by looking like a butterfly that tastes terrible, she’s far less likely to be eaten and can lay more eggs over her lifetime. This simple bit of mimicry helps keep the species thriving — a wonderful example of nature’s quiet intelligence.