Here is a weird moth larva

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a newly reported species of carnivorous caterpillars that inhabit spider webs, as detailed in a scientific abstract. Participants explore the implications of this finding, including the caterpillars' unique behaviors and their conservation status, while also expressing personal reactions to the concept of carnivorous insects.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant highlights the rarity of predatory caterpillars, noting that they comprise less than 0.13% of moth and butterfly species.
  • Another participant expresses a visceral reaction to the concept of the caterpillars decorating their homes with spider body parts, describing it as "yuck."
  • A different participant questions the origins of the species, pondering where it may have come from before Hawaii's high islands formed.
  • There is mention of a personal disappointment regarding the existence of carnivorous caterpillars, contrasting it with a positive view of carnivorous plants.
  • One participant recalls hearing about another predatory inchworm in Hawaii, suggesting there may be more than one instance of such behavior in the region.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of reactions to the concept of carnivorous caterpillars, with some showing disgust while others are intrigued. There is no consensus on the origins of the species or the broader implications of its existence.

Contextual Notes

The discussion touches on the conservation status of the species, which is noted to be restricted to a small area on Oʻahu, but does not delve into specific conservation strategies or challenges.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in entomology, conservation biology, or unique ecological interactions may find this discussion relevant.

BillTre
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This is in Science:

Abstract​

Lepidoptera is the most herbivorous of all the insect orders, with predatory caterpillars globally comprising less than 0.13% of the nearly 200,000 moth and butterfly species. Here, we report a species in which caterpillars are carnivorous inhabitants of spider’s webs, feeding on the arthropods that they find there. This Hawaiian lineage also boasts an unprecedented and macabre practice of decorating its portable larval home with the body parts of the spider prey it harvests from the web where it resides. Phylogenomic data suggest that the origin of this unique spider cohabitant is at least six million years old, more than one million years older than Hawaii’s current high islands. After decades of searching, only one species has been discovered, and it is restricted to 15 square kilometers of a single mountain range on the island of Oʻahu, meaning that other members of the lineage have disappeared from older islands. Conservation action to save this globally unique lineage is imperative and overdue.

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All I have to say is... yuck.
 
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I was telling a friend about that yesterday after having read a blurb in an issue of Science. The abstract says that the species is "more than one million years older than Hawaii’s current high islands" and I was wondering where it had originally blown or floated in from.

The "bone" camouflage didn't disgust me but I was oddly disappointed to learn that there are carnivorous caterpillars. I don't why that bugged me (haha). I have a carnivorous plant and think it's cool.

Short video: https://www.science.org/doi/suppl/10.1126/science.ads4243/suppl_file/science.ads4243_movie_s1.zip
 
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I thought I heard of a predatory inchworm also in Hawaii?