>> One thing I haven't figured out is why poisonous prey animals (frogs, 
>> butterflies, etc) wind up being brightly colored.
> 
>   AFAIK the bright colors work as a warning signal. Predators learn to
> distinguish the poisonous prey by their color.
> 
>   It would make little sense to just have poison but otherwise look edible.
> Both predator and prey get killed. With a warning color both live.
> 
>   (By this logic it would follow that some species mimic the color of
> poisonous species. I wonder if there are examples of this.)

Hoverflies look very like wasps, but have no venom.

False nettles look like stinging nettles, but lack a sting.

I couldn't give you a name, but I'm pretty sure there are snakes which 
are harmless yet mimic deadly ones...

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