43
Dead smelly
When disturbed, the white ermine
moth pretends to be dead. If this
does not work, it
produces drops
of foul -smelling
yellow liquid.
Caught in the act
Sometimes false eyes are
not enough to protect
butterflies and moths
from predators. This
butterfly was too busy
drinking nectar to
notice the spider
creeping up on it.
Spot the difference!
Some harmless butterflies mimic, or
copy, poisonous ones. The pattern
and vivid colors of the monarch
butterfly warn birds that it is poisonous.
The harmless viceroy butterfly mimics the
monarch’s markings to trick hungry
birds. Not many will risk a bite to find
out which is which!
White spots on the monarch’s
head and thorax are a
signal to predators of the
butterfly’s awful taste.
The caterpillar
is unharmed by
the poisons from
its foodplant.
False eye
Spider Plant poisons
The monarch caterpillar stores
poisons from its foodplant—the
deadly milkweed—in its body.
These poisons are passed on to the
butterfly during metamorphosis.
The viceroy has a black
line on its hind wing.
What other differences
can you see?
US_042-043_Leave_me_alone.indd 43 11/10/17 3:34 pm
