Postman butterflies are insects found in South America.
The postman butterfly begins as a caterpillar, which hatches from an egg. The caterpillar looks like bird droppings, which can fool its predators. If an animal does approach, the caterpillar has a second line of defense. It lets off a highly unpleasant smell.
The caterpillar eats passionflower leaves, which make the adult butterfly poisonous to predators. The butterfly’s bright colors tell birds and other predators of its danger. As an adult, the postman butterfly eats mostly flower nectar.

The postman butterfly’s bright makings are a warning to predators.
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"What is a postman butterfly?" was posted on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 at 1:35 am.
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