An eye spot is a circular, eye-like marking found on the body of some caterpillars. These eyespots make the insect look like the face of a much larger animal and may scare away some predators. Hiding Some caterpillars encase themselves in a folded leaf or other hiding place. Bad smells Some caterpillars can emit very bad smells to ward off predators. They have an osmeterium, an orange, y-shaped gland on their neck which gives off a strong, unpleasant odor when the caterpillar is threatened.
Many swallowtails have an osmeterium, including the Zebra Swallowtail .
Butterflies Butterflies are fragile and almost defenseless creatures. They rely on a variety of strategies to protect them from hungry predators. The Goliath Birdwing is a poisonous butterfly from Indonesia. Some butterflies are poisonous. When a predator, like a bird, eats one of these butterflies it becomes sick, vomits violently, and quickly learns not to eat this type of butterfly.