If you’re like most of us, you’ve probably always thought of butterflies as the one insect that could do no harm. Well, come to find out, that turns out not to be the case. Monarch caterpillars and butterflies already display a fair warning sign with the colors of orange and black. Yet, we get so mesmerized by their beauty that we don’t even think about it.
Monarch caterpillars feed on milkweed, which is toxic and can disrupt cardiac contractions. If ingested, monarchs are foul-tasting and very poisonous. After the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, the toxins move to different parts of the body, with the abdominal carrying most of the toxin. Birds and other predators tear their wings off to ingest the abdominal portion, thinking that it won’t harm them.
