Most moths and butterflies pose no risk to cats. There are two reputable sources on this topic. The bright colors on its body are so clearly visible that we feel they can easily attract the predators, but in contrast, this color helps the predators to distinguish the Monarchs from the other butterflies. While milkweed can be poisonous to many species, some have turned this toxicity to their strategic advantage. Milkweed species in the genus Asclepias contain cardiac glycosides that are poisonous to humans, but they pose the most danger to grazing animals. The unforgettable monarch butterfly relies exclusively on milkweed as its larval food source or host plant. The first document available is Plants in New Zealand Poisonous … Are monarch butterflies "canaries in the coal mine"? The N'gwa or 'Kaa caterpillar's entrails have been used by Bushmen to poison the tips of arrows. Other good-tasting butterflies (called "mimics") come to resemble them and thus benefit from this "umbrella" of protection. The stings from common caterpillars are rarely dangerous, but some large, exotic caterpillars can be toxic. Some butterflies such as the Monarch and Pipevine Swallowtail eat poisonous plants as caterpillars and are poisonous themselves as adult butterflies. Birds learn not to eat them. The monarch butterfly is a beautiful flying insect with its large scaly wings. Some caterpillars will sting, causing pain to your cat. Insects > Monarch Butterflies >Monarchs Are Lovely, but Poisonous. Generally in life, when we see butterflies the common knowledge is to not touch them as they are fragile and our body’s oils can harm them in addition to our strong fingers smushing-up their bodies (which is just a shame). Put another way, are their disappearing numbers trying to tell us something? This is fortunate since cats really enjoy pursuing these fancy fliers. No butterflies are so poisonous that they kill people or large animals, but there is an African moth whose caterpillar's fluids are very poisonous. So much has been published about dogs and butterflies, and most of us care deeply about both of them. Again, black and white. Butterflies Can Be Poisonous? What impact would their extinction have on the rest of the world? When shot by one of these arrows an antelope can be killed in short order. Monarch moms lay a single egg underneath a milkweed leaf. Milkweed (Asclepias and Gomphocarpus species) is poisonous but while some people state that they are not allowed to be grown in school grounds, no evidence can be found of this ruling. Monarchs are foul-tasting and poisonous due to the presence of cardenolide aglycones in their bodies, which the caterpillars ingest as they feed on milkweed.Both forms advertise their unpalatability with bright colors and areas of high contrast on the skin or wings.