The Carnivorous Caterpillar

I will never look at a caterpillar the same way

In Hawaii, the caterpillars are very hungry.  These aren't your ordinary leaf-munchers, either.  Check out how these lethal larvae catch their prey!

The carnivorous caterpillar is just as terrifying as it sounds.  Hawaii is home to a number of unique endemic caterpillars.  Many species in the moth genus Eupithecia are stone-cold killers.

One such caterpillar does its best spider imitation by weaving web.  Once a misfortunate snail has been entangled, the caterpillar feeds.  Another species is capable of disguises itself as twig while it waits for a clueless insect to wander by.  At that point, it pounces with remarkable speed and latches on before devouring its prey.

Perhaps the most sinister is a particular species that upon hatching mimics the smell of an ant larvae.  Because of this, well-meaning ants carry it back to the nest.  Once there, they proceed to feed the adopted caterpillar.  Eventually the caterpillar turns on its caregivers and feasts on the nest’s residents.

Authored By Josh Ng

Source: 

http://trib.com/news/national/carnivorous-caterpillar-discovered-in-hawaii/article_d473efb6-a286-5cc9-a3be-b33da55b92c0.html

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0306/feature6/