Beautiful butterfly wings hold sea snail's toxin

An Asian butterfly's white wings tipped with vibrant red-orange are not only eye catching, they contain a poison, scientists have found.

They share this venom with an unlikely counterpart: predatory sea snails, which harpoon their prey to inject a cocktail of paralyzing venoms, including this one.

The butterfly, Hebomoia glaucippe, likely uses the toxin as a defense rather than a weapon, writes the Austrian research team, noting that many of the butterfly's predators, including birds, ants and the orchid mantis, avoid the wings. Hungry geckos, however, may not be bothered by it, because they eat the entire animal, wings and all, they add.?

1. Science news from NBCNews.com

   1. Giant eyeball found ? but whose is it?

      Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: A giant eyeball that washed ashore and was found by a beachcomber in Pompano Beach, Fla., is mystifying wildlife officials ? but probably not for long.

   2. Spot where Caesar was stabbed discovered
   3. Dogs suffer PTSD-like stress after Japan disaster
   4. Farmer finds Maya murals under plaster

The team analyzed the proteins from the bodies and wings of H. glaucippe butterflies collected from multiple locations in southeastern Asia, finding a relatively high abundance of the toxin called glacontryphan-M. This toxin has so far only been found in the sea snail species Conus marmoreus, commonly known as the marble cone snail.?

The researchers write they are now examining samples of the butterfly collected elsewhere for the toxin and looking at other toxic animals for clues as to the evolutionary reason a butterfly and sea snail share an identical toxin.

The study was published online Oct. 15 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Follow LiveScienceon Twitter@livescience. We're also onFacebook &Google+.

? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49422112/ns/technology_and_science-science/

sharia law new hampshire primary results ron paul molly sims hostess brands nh primary david crowder band