Meet the caterpillars that build chrome home

But that's not the only fallacy about these animals floating around the web. A quick Google search will tell you that the empty chrysalises were once used as currency. It's tempting to conjure up the scenario: baskets filled to the brim with sparkling caterpillar cases and ancient peoples combing the undergrowth for the rainforest's doubloons. We humans certainly love our shiny things, but after speaking with half a dozen butterfly specialists, it looks like there's no truth to this historical nugget.