10 Remarkable Types of Caterpillars and What They Become
Cairns Birdwing Butterfly Caterpillar
A black Cairns birdwing caterpillar with yellow and red spikes on a human hand
Clint Budd / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
These spiky natives of northeastern Australia begin their life on the leaves of a rainforest vine called Aristolochia. Though the vine is poisonous to other caterpillars—and people—Cairns birdwing caterpillars thrive on it. In fact, they store the ingested toxins in the fleshy orange, yellow, and red spines on their backs as a deadly defense against predators. The color of the spines is sufficient to deter hungry birds from scooping them up.15
The butterflies they become (Australia's largest) are equally striking, particularly the vibrant, multicolored males.16
A black Cairns birdwing caterpillar with yellow and red spikes on a human hand
Clint Budd / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
These spiky natives of northeastern Australia begin their life on the leaves of a rainforest vine called Aristolochia. Though the vine is poisonous to other caterpillars—and people—Cairns birdwing caterpillars thrive on it. In fact, they store the ingested toxins in the fleshy orange, yellow, and red spines on their backs as a deadly defense against predators. The color of the spines is sufficient to deter hungry birds from scooping them up.15
The butterflies they become (Australia's largest) are equally striking, particularly the vibrant, multicolored males.16
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31 August 2023
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