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NEW YORK (AP) — A new carnivorous caterpillar that wears the remains of its prey has been dubbed the “bone collector.”
This unique insect species can only be found on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. It moves slowly along spiderwebs, feeding on insects that have been caught and adorning its silk case with parts of their bodies.
According to Dan Rubinoff from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, who conducted the study, there are other caterpillars that eat meat and exhibit various unusual behaviors, but this particular insect’s behavior stands out as exceptionally bizarre.
Scientists think the case might act as camouflage, allowing the caterpillar to feast on the spider’s ensnared meals without getting caught.
While many caterpillars in Hawaii construct protective cases using silk glands and materials like lichen and sand, this specific species is the first to utilize the heads of ants and wings of flies for this purpose.
“It really is an astonishing type of case,” said Steven Montgomery, an entomology consultant in Hawaii who was not involved with the new study.
Findings were published Thursday in the journal Science. Scientists found just 62 of the carnivorous caterpillars in over 20 years of observing.
Predatory caterpillars are extremely rare and the bone collectors found in Hawaii will even eat each other, researchers said.
The bone collector’s origins date back at least 6 million years, making the caterpillars more ancient than the Hawaiian islands themselves. Today, they dwell on an isolated patch of mountain forest alongside invasive species.
“There is really a concern that we need to do better with conservation,” said Rubinoff.