The spicebush swallowtail caterpillar is, well, it makes certain something. We’re going to say it’s creepy, thanks to those fake eyes and swollen-looking head. As it turns out, there’s a completely excellent factor the spicebush swallowtail caterpillar looks like this, and it’s all about self-defense. It does not simply safeguard itself by using a set of incorrect eyes, hard. It likewise pretends to be a snake, complete with a forked organ that looks like a snake’s tongue.
Back in 2020, the National Forest Service (NPS) shared a photo of this bizarre caterpillar (aka “Caterpie,” since it looks just like a Pokemon with that name), describing why it looks the way it does. NPS also explains the development of the caterpillar’s appearance from just plain strange to extremely weird.
” [The] Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar has lots of abilities consisting of versatility, color modification, illusion, leaf guard, mimicry, and toxin touch,” NPS composes in its caption. “In its early phases, it looks like a bird dropping, how great, and is discovered exposed throughout the day on the upper side of the leaves. After molting the caterpillar turns green and displays the snake’s head mimicry, with large areas giving the appearance of a snake’s head.”
Here’s a swallowtail in its green kind, displaying snake-head mimicry:
Those false eye areas look like real eyes to predators (and unwary human beings). Predators see that thing and believe, no thank you. This particular swallowtail species then modifications from green to orange or yellow, before changing itself into a chrysalis and metamorphosing into a pretty regular-looking butterfly.
” [These] mimics can be harmful and horrible to predators,” NPS says. (So it’s not all a complete ploy.)
Here’s a spicebush swallowtail in its orange kind:
Weird Snake Vibes Leveled Up
And now for the genuine enjoyable. Swallowtails, when they seethe, rear up like a snake and protrude an orange, forked organ that looks an awful lot like a snake’s tongue. In one TikTok video of a two-tailed swallowtail, you can see the caterpillar start to do the snake thing after one poke. After two pokes, it’s protruding its Y-shaped organ called an osmeterium.
And its osmeterium is stinky, too. That foul odor will scare off predators if the snake act doesn’t.
What do you think? Cool, scary, or both?
The spicebush swallowtail caterpillar is … something. Can you fathom what sound this animal makes when it seethes? You can’t.