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What makes butterflies that eat milkweed dangerous to there preditors?
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
The monarch caterpillar is at a high risk when they eat Milkweed. Milkweed got its name because its full of a sticky milk colored liquid. Many caterpillars get stuck in it and die. The caterpillars that eat milkweed are immune to a special toxin in the milkweed but still are at risk of dying in the sticky liquid. Butterflies do not eat milkweed. They drink nectar from flowers or juice from fruits.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
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What do Monarch Butterflies eat?
Monarch butterfly larvae (caterpillars) feed exclusively on milkweed. The adult Monarch butterfly drinks the juices of soft fruits (usually fallen fruits), and nectar from flowers. It drinks the nectar of milkweed flowers, which makes it poisonous to predators.
What is the title of the children's book about a mouse named Milkweed who makes a home in a log?
The title of the children's book about a mouse named Milkweed who makes a home in a log is "Milkweed."
What birds eat monarch butterflies?
yes they taste bad to the birds because they are posinious
What is the theme of milkweed?
Identity is the main theme of 'Milkweed.' A big part of adolescence is determining what one's identity is and what makes one unique.
What animals eat on milkweed?
um, no. butterflies eat like nectar or something from flowers. but monarch caterpillars eat milkweek leaves. The question of the butterfly diet is very popular, and relatively simple to answer. In brief, most butterflies do not eat anything, although they do drink liquids. While butterflies do not eat in the traditional sense, they have a proboscis, or long tube in their mouth that acts like a straw for drinking. You will often see butterflies perched on flowers, manure piles and fruit gathering different nutrients. Another common butterfly behavior called puddling refers to butterflies that congregate in shallow water or wet areas to grab a drink on a warm sunny day. The video at the top of the article shows a close up view of a Melissa Blue gathering fluid and nutrients from the ground. People interested in butterfly photography should take note of puddling butterflies. Water patches in ditches on the side of the road are a great place to find a variety of butterfly species. There are always exceptions to the butterflies do not eat rule. Dr. Paul A. Opler of the U.S. Geological Survey, for example, says, "Longwing butterflies such as the Zebra butterfly are able to collect pollen from certain flowers with their proboscis and to break it down and absorb amino acids (proteins) which contribute to the ability to survive, mate and lay eggs for long periods (6 months or so). With their short proboscis (tongue) the adults of Harvester butterflies can actually pierce the bodies of woolly aphids and drink their fluids--this would be the only bugs that adult butterflies eat." "The caterpillar of almost all butterflies eat various parts of plants. Each species may specialize of only a few kinds of plants or plant parts. The caterpillars of the Harvester butterfly and its relatives are exceptions in that they feed solely on aphids."
Do Monarch Butterflies mimic Vicory Butterflies?
Monarchs and viceroys both have poison in them that makes them taste bad, so by looking like each other, they gain extra mutual protection. (Predators learn one pattern and then avoid both butterflies.) The viceroy is often considered the mimic in the pair because monarchs look very similar to other related "milkweed butterflies" in their family, while the viceroy has evolved to look entirely different from its close relatives in order to better look like the monarch.
How have monarch butterflies adapted to their environment?
Monarch butterflies have adapted to be poisonous to their most serious predators. This makes them taste bad to birds, which are a problem for other types of butterflies.
What makes your body have butterflies?
Nervousness and not knowing what to expect. <3
What is a animal that makes a migration every year?
butterflies and birds
What are the adaptations for milkweed plants?
The plant cardiac glycosides witch is toxic to animals
What animals eat milkweeds?
Monarch Butterflies, that's what makes them poisonous.
What kind of animal lays eggs from its head?
This makes them look like the head of a very large animal instead of a ... This memory will stay with the predator, who will avoid that type of .... It eats milkweed in its larval stage and lays eggs on the poisonous milkweed plant. ...
