nom nom nom OH MY GOD

August 18, 2010 1:35 PM

You know what's great about Hawaii? Its isolation can produce interesting forms of life, such as Eupethecia staurophragma i.e. carnivorous caterpillars! Don't believe it? Watch the video or view the photos (via boingboing).

Aww, are you giant carnivorous centipede lovers feeling neglected? No, problem Mefi has covered that.
posted by nomadicink (21 comments total)

I am going to Hawaii on Sunday for my honeymoon. I was thinking about relaxing on the beach and taking a helicopter tour over luscious jungle.

Now thanks to you and Shark Week I'm thinking about Great White sharks and carnivorous caterpillars.

Thanks a lot, asshole.
posted by kbanas at 1:47 PM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's like a tentacle with a clawed fist at the end. It looks like something that should be protruding out of Wilbur Whately's lower half.
posted by infinitywaltz at 1:50 PM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

And WHERE is this caterpillar's BIRTH CERTIFICATE?
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 1:50 PM on August 18, 2010 [2 favorites]

This is making me hear the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon soundtrack in my head.
posted by Gator at 1:53 PM on August 18, 2010

And WHERE is this caterpillar's BIRTH CERTIFICATE?

I read that in Jerry Seinfeld's voice, and it was pretty funny.
posted by infinitywaltz at 1:54 PM on August 18, 2010

DO NOT WANT
posted by Uncle Grumpy at 1:59 PM on August 18, 2010

Evolution rocks.
posted by Malor at 2:03 PM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

More like evolution lies in wait, then drops down from above and eats you alive.

Oh, sorry kbanas!
posted by nomadicink at 2:09 PM on August 18, 2010 [3 favorites]

Remember that one time you woke up, horrifically hung over, and that giant centipede was sitting on your chest all like "What?" and you were trying not to panic when it said, in a perfectly reasonable voice "Look, I know you're scared, but consider this, if I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. Now just lay back and relax, I don't want you stressing out and doing anything that might damage the all those eggs I laid in your stomach..."

And you said that you were never going to drink again?

Good times.
posted by quin at 2:12 PM on August 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

I haven't seen any pictures or videos of the moth this turns into. Does anyone know what kind of moth it turns into?
posted by boo_radley at 2:13 PM on August 18, 2010

It looks like this, boo_radley.
posted by infinitywaltz at 2:19 PM on August 18, 2010 [4 favorites]

Why oh why did I think watching a video labeled "Carnivorous Caterpillar Eats Fly's Head, Side On, Blood Visible" was a good idea?
posted by aspo at 3:02 PM on August 18, 2010

Holy shit, that thing be creeeepy.
posted by elder18 at 3:03 PM on August 18, 2010

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

*clicks links*

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
posted by lonefrontranger at 3:22 PM on August 18, 2010

Darn it. One of the main benefits of our moving from Arizona to Hawaii was supposed to be "all of the wildlife including plants is *not* actively trying to stab, poison, kill, and eat you."
posted by kyrademon at 3:31 PM on August 18, 2010

I'm strangely relieved to know that there is a carnivorous caterpillar out there. Now my caterpillar phobia isn't COMPLETELY irrational anymore.

Me: AAAAUUUGHH! THERE'S A CATERPILLAR! KILL IT! KILL IT!
Friend: Why? It's just a caterpilllar, man.
ME: IT WANTS TO EAT ME!
Friend: . . .
posted by KingEdRa at 6:41 PM on August 18, 2010

I wasn't aware that carnivorous caterpillars were a new thing. There are Harvesters throughout Eastern North America. These butterflies have larvae that eat woolly aphids, and wear the carcasses on their backs to trick ants in to feeding them droplets of honeydew for a digestif. Granted, these definitely have more impressive tactics.
posted by ktrey at 9:21 PM on August 18, 2010

I see Zerg, flying high.

I see Zerg, scurrying low.

I see Zeeeerrrrg....
posted by SallySpades at 4:49 AM on August 19, 2010

kbanas, I'm pretty sure there are NO great white sharks in Hawaii.

Tiger sharks, box jellyfish, Portuguese man-o-war, and cone snails, on the other hand... yeah.

But no great whites! Enjoy the beach!
posted by CancerMan at 10:23 AM on August 19, 2010

I'm pretty sure there are Zerg though...
posted by sneebler at 6:35 PM on August 19, 2010

Why oh why did I think watching a video labeled "Carnivorous Caterpillar Eats Fly's Head, Side On, Blood Visible" was a good idea?

Awww, they're kissing!
posted by kbanas at 6:55 PM on August 19, 2010