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Butterflies are fragile and vulnerable to predation by all kinds of critters, from birds until reptiles to spiders to others insects. Sometimes caterpillars of one species will eat the caterpillars of the other. Because of this, butterflies have developed strategies to protect themselves. Some butterflies have eyespots on their wings that startle or confuse predators. Others have camouflage that allows them to mimic leaves or bark. Others ironically are brilliantly colored, letting a predator know they could be venomous or poisonous. This is called aposematism.
butterflies, BTW, are non-venomous as they have no stingers, spines, fangs, or piercing mouthparts, leaving them no way of injecting their venoms into an enemy. However, there are poisonous caterpillars. The pus caterpillar, also known as the viper, has spines that can cause redness and swelling, as well as incredible pain. The poisonous caterpillar of the silkworm moth of South America and Central America is downright dangerous, as being stabbed with its spines has been known to cause death.
The poisons most venomous butterflies have are not potent enough to kill a large predator, but they are potent enough to make the butterfly taste so bad that a predator learns to avoid other members of the species in the future. Interestingly, most butterflies are not poisonous, but many imitate and hang out with butterflies that are. The very unsavory monarch butterflyis imitated, for example, by the viceroy, who is also not tasty. Many butterflies begin to store the poison in their bodies when they are caterpillars, because the caterpillars feed on poisonous plants and those toxins survive the caterpillar’s pupation. There are butterflies that also ingest nectar or, in rare cases, pollen from poisonous plants. Here is a list of some butterflies that are poisonous:
#10. Monarch
This butterfly is notorious for the beauty of its orange, white and black wings, its long pull and its toxicity. The butterfly lays her eggs almost exclusively on milkweed plants, which are poisonous. As the caterpillar eats the leaves of the plant, it collects toxins called cardiac glycosides, which are usually present in the wings and abdomen of the adult. Some clever predators seem to know this and avoid those parts of the butterfly. A monarch butterfly feeding on butterfly weed, a popular plant people put in their gardens to attract butterflies also collects toxins.
To go here to learn more about the monarch butterfly.
#9. red lacewing
This beautiful butterfly from Asia and Southeast Asia also has wings that are colored orange, black and white like the monarch, although the pattern on the wings is different. Still, the colors should warn predators that this insect is poisonous. The caterpillar feeds on the passion flower and is armed with poisonous spines.
With a wingspan of just over 3 inches, the red lacewing has two female forms. The first is red, black and white like the male, and the other is brown with white markings. It can be said that the underside of this butterfly is even more beautiful than the top, as it is covered with a lace scribble of orange, white and black lines.
#8. Zebra Long Wing
This long-lived, long-winged butterfly gets both its longevity and its toxin from the pollen it eats and the venom it stores up as a caterpillar while eating the passion flower. Pollen is converted in his body into toxins called cyanogenic glycosides. This not only protects the butterfly, but can also protect the caterpillar even before it is born, as the female butterfly diverts her toxins into her reproductive system when pollen levels are low.
The zebra longwing is unmistakable with its long, oval wings decorated with black and white zebra stripes and red dots. Found in the South United States and south to South America, it has a wingspan of 2.8 to 3.9 inches and is the state butterfly of Florida.
#7. Pipevine Dovetail
The glorious pipevine swallowtail is one of the most venomous of the venomous butterflies. This big butterfly from north America and Central America has a wingspan of 3 to 4.5 inches. The forewings are black, but the scalloped hindwings with tail are iridescent blue with white spots on the male. The underside of the hindwings has nice orange spots on a blue background.
The butterfly gets its poisons because the caterpillar feeds on the poisonous pipe vine. This plant is full of aristolochic acid that makes both the butterfly and caterpillar indigestible for their future predators. Due to the pipevine butterfly’s defense mechanism, a large number of butterflies mimic it, including the spicebush swallowtail. Interestingly, there are types of pipevine that are dangerous even to the caterpillars, and the female pipevine butterfly has to be careful where she lays her eggs.
#6. The mailman
Like the long-winged zebra, which is a relative, the postman butterfly eats pollen, a rare behavior in butterflies. Another butterfly whose caterpillars eat the poisonous passion flower, the Postman shares the basic shape of the zebra, but its wings have beautiful patterns of red and black or yellow and black, and there are different shapes depending on where the butterfly is found. Because it is poisonous, many butterflies mimic the mailman and fly
w
ith it to give them some protection from predators. The postman is not only bad in taste, but has a strong odor that even humans can smell.
The postman, with a wingspan of 2.5 to 3.25 inches, can be found in the forests and open areas of Central America and as far south as the south. Brazil.
#5. queen butterfly
The queen moth is a different species of butterfly, although the levels of alkaloids and cardenolides that the caterpillar stores and passes on to the adult can vary. This is because the queen caterpillar does not have to feed exclusively on the poisonous milkweed, but can thrive on plants such as honey vines and dogbane. The Queen is a large, beautiful butterfly with a wingspan of 3.1 to 3.3 inches and has orange-brown wings fringed and veined with black. White spots on its forewings and in its black wing margins seem to glow. Found in both North and South America, it is found in a variety of habitats, including: swamps, forest edges, fields and even deserts.
#4. Atala butterfly
This small butterfly is unusual in that the male’s abdomen is brilliant red and its wings are metallic blue with metallic blue dots along the hind wings. Its color and the bright red and yellow colors of its caterpillar warn predators that it tastes bad. It is a member of the Eumaeus genus, which is famous because a large number of its members are poisonous.
The Atala, with a wingspan of only 1.5 to 1.75 inches, is found in southern Florida and south of the Greater Antilles. It gets its toxins from the cycad, an ancient plant that has been around since the dinosaurs. It gives the Atala a poison called cycasin, which is notorious for destroying the liver if ingested. Because this butterfly tolerates the cycad as well as it does, scientists believe the insect must be nearly as old. The Atala’s flight is relaxed as if he didn’t have to worry about predators.
#3. Common Indian Crow
The common Indian crow resembles the queen and belongs to the same family. But its wings are black and more elongated, and it is a bit larger with a wingspan of 3.25 to 3.75 inches. It is also found in Asia and Australia unlike North and South America. This butterfly gets its poison from oleander and milkweed. Like other venomous butterflies, it is mimicked by others that are perfectly edible, including the Malabar raven, the great egg fly, and the common mime.
Besides being generally inedible, the common Indian crow plays dead when attacked by a predator and releases a nasty, poisonous liquid that causes the predator to release it and vomit.
#2. birdwing butterflies
These are some of the largest butterflies on Earth, and most of them are poisonous. They are also astonishingly beautiful, and their beauty has made them the target of collectors. This, in turn, has led to many being listed as endangered. Birdwings are native to the rainforests from Asia, Australia and Southeast Asia. Like the pipevine swallowtail, birdwing caterpillars eat pipevine and birthwort and thus accumulate aristolochic acid that persists even as the caterpillars mature. The caterpillars actually store the venom in the fleshy, spine-like projections that run down their backs. In a species like the Cairns bird wing, these spines are bright red, warning predators that the caterpillar is poisonous. If a bird or other animal tries to eat the caterpillar or adult butterfly, they will get sick, although the poison probably won’t kill them. They will then know not to attack the bird’s wing.
Similar to the pipevine swallowtail, an exotic pipevine has been introduced to the Australian rainforest. This pipevine is not the species that uses the bird’s wing as a host plant, but it is so similar that it entices the butterfly to lay eggs on it anyway. The vine is so poisonous that the caterpillar can’t stand it and eventually dies.
Read here to learn about the world’s largest butterflies.
#1. Papilio Antimachus
The giant African swallowtail, with a wingspan of between 7.1 and 9.8 inches, is the largest butterfly in Africa. It is also one of the most venomous butterflies on Earth. With graceful wings of orange and black that might remind you of a Tiger, this butterfly is found in the Central African rainforest and has no natural enemies. This is because it is thought that the caterpillar eats a plant called Strophanthus free, a vine with flowers that are as beautiful as the plant is deadly. It secretes a poison called ouabain, which hunters spread on the tips of arrows. When the arrow pierces an animal, even as big as a hippopotamus the animal drops dead of a heart attack. The venom not only protects the butterfly, but also gives it its glorious colors.
Next one: What is a Merle Coat?
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