USA Butterfly And Dragonfly Earrings
USA postage stamps issued in 2013 as part of a butterfly series. This stamp shows the spicebush swallowtail. This butterfly, according to the Mystic Stamp Company, uses mimicry to protect itself. The young larva resembles bird droppings. As it grows older, it turns yellow-green and has two large black spots with white dots on its head, resembling a snake. When the butterfly is attacked, it exposes a red y-shaped organ that mimics a snake’s tongue. As an adult, the butterfly looks like a pipevine swallowtail, a foul-tasting butterfly many predators know to avoid.
Unlike most butterflies, the spicebush swallowtail flies close to the ground.
The USPS began its Butterfly Series in 2010. These stamps are "nonmachinable," meaning they're for larger or oddly-shaped envelopes, such as greeting cards, and so must be sorted by hand. New stamps in the series were issued each year through 2016.