Not a Jelly Baby but a Jewel Caterpillar from Ecuador

6 years ago
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What looks like a tasty gummy sweet is actually a Translucent Jewel Caterpillar from the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador. It belongs to a family of moths known as Dalceridae whose larvae are also called slug caterpillars. They are not poisonous as many other caterpillars, but the yellow glutinous cones will just break off if a predator wants to grab them. Also their stickiness may protect them from being eaten by hungry insects such as ants.

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