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Butterfly Eggs Don’t Look Like They’re From This World

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Butterflies sorta creep me out. First, they start out as another bug and then they cocoon themselves. Who does that? And just take a look at this butterfly egg, it’s borderline alien looking.

National Geographic has a whole slew of pictures of insect eggs. The pictures were taken with a scanning electron microscope, which uses beams to outline an object’s exterior. The pictures are colored in post but done so to reflect its natural appearance. Of all the insect eggs, the butterfly egg looks the creepiest. Just read National Geographic’s description of the Zebra longwing butterfly egg:

The orange hue of this zebra longwing butterfly egg may warn predators: “Eat me if you dare.” The threat would not be idle. The egg contains cyanide and other toxins ingested by adults from the plants they eat.

Cyanide and other toxins? Butterflies aren’t as nice as we think, I’m telling you. I can’t trust them. [National Geographic via Neatorama]

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