Two giant black dots on either wing fool birds into thinking they are eyes. The colors of other butterflies, such as the bright white stripes against the black wings of the zebra butterfly, or stripes of bright yellow and red, tells birds that the butterfly tastes bad and is toxic. Sabido said the butterflies in this group, the Heliconids, feed on plants that become toxic in their bodies. The toxins don't affect the butterfly but they leave a bad taste in the bird's mouth, so birds quickly learn not to feed on members of the brightly-colored family. Other butterflies mimic the Heliconids' colors, but aren't toxic.
Some butterflies use their colors as camouflage.
The yellow piered butterfly blends in with yellowing leaves and remains unnoticed by predators. The giant neon-blue Morpho will sit quietly, a nondescript brown when its wings are closed. When a predator gets too close, the Morpho will fly into the sun, flashing its beautiful wings and startling its foe. All the butterflies at the farm were collected within the area. Throughout the year, Brinckerhoff and Sabido collect butterflies, using a huge net, to breed.