Cool Things You Need To Know

• The Jewel Caterpillar is comprised of a semi-translucent (almost transparent), jelly-like substance making them one of the coolest looking animals you will see in 2013
• These incredible creatures are typically found throughout parts of Central and South America (although there have been some reports of these caterpillars enter the borders of the southern United States)
• The Jewel Caterpillar will eventually develop into a beautifully, bright orange moth, which is not quite as impressive as the larvae form but still pretty striking

Can You Really See Through the Jewel Caterpillar?

Okay, so what is up with this transparent caterpillar? Have these photos been photoshopped? Believe it or not, these photos are legit and this gooey caterpillar actually appears to be carrying small jewels on their back. So what is the purpose of the bright colours, spiny spikes and sticky substance? Normally, when an animal is this brightly coloured, it is an indication that they are deadly to eat, however, that is not the case with the Jewel Caterpillar. Although, maybe they are just bluffing to trick any hungry predators out there. Nonetheless, it is believed that the spikes and sticky substance are meant to dissuade other animals from snacking on them.

Spine Dropping Caterpillar

Researchers have discovered that the jewel-like spines on the caterpillar’s back break off incredibly easy. While it hasn’t been proven it is believed that this is a defence mechanism, which acts much like the lizards ability to drop their tail. In this case though, the predator is just left with a mouth full of goo, while the caterpillar slowly makes their escape. As you can imagine the sticky goo-like substance also dissuades other animals form picking on the caterpillar. In one study, scientists put in hungry ants (which normally eat caterpillars) only to find that the ants mostly stayed away from our featured larvae. The few that did try chowing down on the caterpillar quickly realized that the mouth full of goo wasn’t worth the snack.

These incredible defence mechanisms probably explains why the Jewel Caterpillar walks around without any care in the world. They are often seen just slowly wandering around  in the open without any fear of attacking predators…almost as if they were indeed poisonous (maybe this just shows how dedicated they are to their bluff).

For more photos of this incredible caterpillar, check out the Wild Facts Facebook Page (and don’t be shy if you have any questions).