Newly emerged from the chrysalis hanging next to it, a fat red-and-yellow caterpillar has undergone metamorphosis to turn into this Atala butterfly colorful in its own right. The bright red on the wings and the orange abdomen are warnings to would-be predators that they may find the Atala a bit unpalatable due to the toxins it has incorporated into its body from its larval host plant, the prehistoric Coontie.